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Household Hazardous Waste Day Saturday, October 30

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 2 years ago.

Photo of sign that reads "Household Hazardous Waste" with a directional arrow underneath; a bright orange DPW truck is visible in the background.

City of Cambridge Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day
Saturday, October 30

Cambridge, MA, October 14, 2021 -- The City of Cambridge will hold its last Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Day for 2021 on Saturday, October 30, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., at 50 Mooney Street. To access this event, enter from Smith Place.

To streamline the collection process, residents should remain in their vehicle and follow the directions from the staff. Items will be removed from trunks only and residents should leave any items they do not wish to dispose of at home. If you have items that are too bulky for just the trunk, please notify staff upon arrival. 

Bins, buckets, boxes, etc. used to hold containers of the hazardous waste will NOT be returned to visitors. For example, if you have a bottle of motor oil that you wish to dispose of, don’t place the plastic bottle in a bin you wish to keep. Just place the bottle directly in the trunk for the staff to retrieve.

Residents are urged to review the acceptable items below in advance.

Accepted items include:

  • Batteries: Vehicle & Non-Alkaline
  • Car Fluids: Antifreeze, Brake, Engine Degreaser, Transmission
  • Car Tires (maximum of four per household)
  • Chemicals: Cleaners, Glues, Removers, Photography & Swimming Pool
  • Fluorescent Light Bulbs
  • Mercury Items: Thermometers & Thermostats
  • Paints: Oil-Based & Latex
  • Poisons: Insecticides, Pesticides & Weed Killers
  • Prescription Medicines (also accepted year-round at Cambridge Police Dept. 125 Sixth St.)
  • Propane Cylinders (20 lbs. or less only)
  • Waste Fuels: Antifreeze, Gasoline, Kerosene, Sterno & Motor Oil
  • Fire Extinguishers

Items not accepted include:

  • NO Alkaline Batteries
  • NO Ammunition, Fireworks & Explosives (contact Cambridge Fire Dept. at 617-349-3300)
  • NO Asbestos (requires proper disposal)
  • NO Bleach or Ammonia
  • NO Commercial/Industrial Waste
  • NO Construction Debris
  • NO Empty Aerosol Cans
  • NO Compressed Gas Cylinders
  • NO Infectious or Biological Waste
  • NO Radioactive Waste
  • NO Smoke Detectors
  • NO Syringes (contact Cambridge Public Health Dept. at 617-665-3848)

The Cambridge Recycling Center located at 147 Hampshire Street accepts many of the above items not accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Day. Hours of operation for the Recycling Center are Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Learn more at Cambridgema.gov/hazardouswaste.

Page was posted on 10/19/2021 11:37 AM
Page was last modified on 7/25/2023 3:39 AM
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