Recycling household hazardous materials

When you’re picking out a new paint colour for your walls or firing up the grill for the first barbecue of the season, you’re probably not thinking about what you’ll do with that leftover paint or empty propane tank.

So, what should you do when you’re finished using household materials that contain chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the environment?

As a consumer, you can help ensure that household hazardous materials are reused, recycled or disposed of safely. It’s as simple as gathering your old products and dropping them off at a location near you.

From there, materials are sorted and sent to specialized recycling facilities where they may be refined in preparation for use in new products, disassembled and recycled, or carefully disposed of to prevent contamination.

What types of materials can be recycled?

Examples of household hazardous waste that can be recycled in Ontario include:

Used at home

  • Acetone
  • Paints and stains (indoor and outdoor, including spray cans)
  • Paint thinner

Used in cars

  • 3-in-1 multi-⁠purpose oil
  • Antifreeze
  • Automotive paints in aerosol
  • Degreasers
  • Oil containers (including aerosol containers) for
    • Chain oil
    • Engine oil
    • Gear oil
    • Transmission fluid
    • Hydraulic fluid
  • Oil filters
    • Sump type automatic transmission filters
    • Diesel fuel filters

Used in yards and gardens

  • Pesticides (aerosol, liquid and solid)

More

  • Acetylene cylinders
  • CO2 welding gas cylinders
  • Helium cylinders
  • Nitrogen cylinders
  • Paintball CO2 cylinders

Additional items such as refillable propane containers, refillable pressurized containers, fertilizers and mercury-⁠containing thermostats, thermometers and barometers may also be accepted at some locations. To find a location to dispose of these materials, please contact one of the businesses listed in this FAQ.

Note: Household hazardous waste includes the packaging that the product came in. For example, if you fully finish a container of antifreeze, fertilizer or paint, the empty container should be recycled as household hazardous waste.

Learn what other household materials can be recycled