SAFE HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
Hazardous Waste Information 24 hours a day: 415-485-6806
Address:
565 Jacoby Street (Look for the signs by the indoor dump entrance.)
San Rafael, CA
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY HOURS OF OPERATION
Residential Drop-off (For any Marin County household, excluding Novato.
Please bring proof of residency such as a driver's license, tax documents or utility
bill.)
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Phone: 415-485-6806
Commercial Drop-off (Fees apply)
Hours: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Please call the facility for a list of approved materials and to make arrangements.
Phone: 415-485-5648
- List of Hazardous Waste Materials
- Disposal Instructions
- The Law On Common Hazardous Household Waste
- Battery Drop-off Sites in San Rafael
- Pharmaceutical Drop-off Locations
- CESQG: An Affordable Alternative for Businesses
The Hazardous Waste Center
LIST OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
We accept the following:
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For a comprehensive list of recyclables and drop off sites visit the Recycling Directory.
WE CANNOT ACCEPT:
- Explosives
- Lab chemicals
- Radioactives
- Medical wastes (SHARPS containers accepted)
- Most compressed gasses
HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL INTRUCTIONS
Materials must be packaged in sturdy, non-leaking containers no larger than 5 gallons or 50 pounds in size. Do not mix different wastes together.
State law limits the total amount transported at one time to 15 gallons or 125 pounds. The exception is latex paint and motor oil, which can be a total of 20 gallons combined.
A resident of the Marin County household that generated the waste must accompany the waste material that is dropped off (excluding Novato residents). Proof of the residency is required in the form of a drivers' license, tax bill, or utility bill that shows the street address.
Is someone else dropping off YOUR hazardous waste?
If you are unable to bring the hazardous materials into the Marin Resource Recovery Center yourself, you may give permission to someone else to bring in your materials by downloading and printing the Absentee Generator Form. This form can be carried in with your materials at the time of drop off.
Please be sure to place containers in boxes lined with newspaper or other materials to minimize the chances of spills. Make sure all containers are labeled as to their contents. State of California regulations limits transport of household hazardous waste to 15 gallons liquid or combined liquid/dry weight of 125 lbs. (liquid weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon).
STOP!
Before You Break the Law
Throwing hazardous waste in the trash is ILLEGAL.
California has the most restrictive rules when it comes to disposing of hazardous waste, especially batteries. In 2000 Cal/EPA adopted new regulations governing “universal waste,” common household waste that is hazardous to people or the environment, in an attempt to prevent their disposal in regular trash.
Americans buy nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries a year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers, and portable power tools. All those batteries contribute about 88 percent of the total mercury and 50 percent of the cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream (http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php). Mercury is a neurotoxin that damages the nervous system and cadmium is a heavy metal that causes kidney damage through chronic exposure.
Marin Sanitary Service is trying to prevent heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead from reaching landfills. These and other harmful chemicals have the potential to leach from batteries and contaminate soil, groundwater, surface water and the ocean.
Common household universal hazardous wastes includes:
- Anything containing mercury
- Thermometers
- Relays
- Switches
- Batteries
- Fluorescent lights (CFL or Tubes)
- Non-empty aerosol cans
- Cathode ray tubes (CRTs)
- Electronic devices (cell phones, computers, PDA’s, etc)
Battery Drop-off Sites in San Rafael
Location in San Rafael |
Location of Bin |
Fire Station 1 |
Outside the front door |
Fire Station 2 |
Outside in driveway alongside the storage shed |
Fire Station 4 |
Outside the front door |
Fire Station 5 |
Outside the front door |
Fire Station 6 |
Outside the front door |
Fire Station 7 |
Outside the front door |
Fire Station |
Outside the front door |
Pharmaceutical and SHARPs Drop-off Locations
The Household Hazardous Waste drop-off center DOES NOT accept unused or expired medications.
SHARPs are accepted by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility from Marin County residents ONLY (excluding Novato) and NOT from doctor’s offices, clinics or other commercial businesses. As with all residential hazardous waste drop offs proof of residence is required such as a driver’s license, tax document or utility bill.
SHARPS ARE ACCEPTED ONLY IF DROPPED OFF IN DESIGNATED SHARPS CONTAINERS:
CESQG: An Affordable Alternative for Businesses
The City of San Rafael and Marin Recycling Center are sponsoring a CESQG program.
This program offers businesses an affordable alternative for hazardous waste disposal. An appointment and prior registration is required. For more information and to inquire about registration call 415-485-5648.
The most common businesses in this group are painters, printers, artists, builders, labs, property managers, vehicle repair and body shops, garden contractors, pest control companies, and photofinishing shops.
A CESQG will generate per month:
- Less than 220 lbs. (approximately 25 gallons of liquid) of most hazardous chemicals
- Less than 2.2 lbs. (approximately one quart of liquid) of certain original unused products (i.e., acutely hazardous wastes)
- Less then 110 lbs. (approximately 13 gallons of liquid) of perchloroethylene
Is someone else dropping off YOUR hazardous waste?
If you are unable to bring the hazardous materials into the Marin Resource Recovery Center yourself you may send in a form to request a pick-up. Please be sure to place containers in boxes lines with newspaper or other materials to minimize the chances of spills. Make sure all containers and labeled as to their contents. State of California regulations limits transport of household hazardous waste to 15 gallons liquid combined liquid/dry weight of 125 lbs. (liquid weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon). Absentee Generator Form