Hazardous Waste Disposal

Each year, Stratham has a Hazardous Waste Disposal Day in conjunction with Exeter. You should safely store your household hazardous waste products until they can be properly disposed of at the proper time. Please watch for information regarding the date of Hazardous Waste Disposal Day which is usually held each year in October at the Exeter Public Works Garage, Newfields Rd (Rte 85) in Exeter. Sign up on the Town homepage to receive Stratham Conservation Commission notifications about dates and times every year.


What Is Considered Hazardous Waste?

Household hazardous wastes are produced when household hazardous materials are no longer wanted or needed as household products. These wastes include unused paint thinners (flammable); oven cleaners (caustics); bleach (oxidizers); oil-based paints*; pesticides; used oils, gasoline, or antifreeze; fluorescent light bulbs**; etc. and they can affect a consumer's health and contaminate the soil, ground water and surface waters.

To make informed decisions when buying and using products with hazardous ingredients, you first need to identify which products in your home would be considered harmful to you and the environment.

What Are Household Hazardous Materials?

We use hazardous products every day in our homes. These products become a hazard when improper use or disposal will cause a threat to the environment or human health. Many common household products, such as paints, solvents, drain openers, oven cleaners, polishes, waxes, pesticides, cleaning agents and spent automotive products, have hazardous properties. The properties that make these products hazardous are:

  • Flammable - Easily sets on fire or ignited.
  • Corrosive/Caustic - Burns and destroys living tissue on contact.
  • Explosive/Reactive - Detonates or explodes by exposure to heat, sudden shock or pressure.
  • Toxic/Poison - Capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin.

How Do You Identify Household Hazardous Products?

To help you identify these hazardous products, federal law requires them to be labeled with warnings about their use, storage, and disposal. These labels include signal words to help you quickly identify hazardous products. The words "Danger" (most toxic), "Warning," and "Caution" (least toxic) are used to help identify the various degrees of toxicity.

*Please note that dried latex paints are not considered hazardous and can be thrown out with the regular trash collection. If you have a can that IS NOT DRY, try adding some kitty litter to the wet paint and allow it to dry thoroughly before putting it into the regular trash collection. 

**Some True Value Hardware stores accept a limited number of fluorescent bulbs for recycling. Contact your local Tru Value Hardware store for more information.


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