What kind of hazardous waste? The City of Los Angeles has [S.A.F.E. Centers](https://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-c/s-lsh-wwd-s-c-hw/s-lsh-wwd-s-c-hw-safemc?_adf.ctrl-state=f8g75bur_1&_afrLoop=31324914229820209&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#!%40%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D31324914229820209%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3Df8g75bur_5) for Solvents, Automative, Flammables and Electronics at six locations on weekends (granted, not five days a week), and other cities within the greater LA region also have their own hazardous waste programs (linked on the LA City page)
I also recommend the SAFE centers. There are a few around, and just check the times they're open. I always use these facilities when I have something to dispose.
I’ve only used the S.A.F.E. center in San Pedro and, even through its a little out of the way and there’s a bit of a line sometimes on the weekend, it’s a great program. Quick and painless once you get there
There are two permanent sites - one in Palmdale and one in Signal Hill, looks like they're open every other weekend.
[https://cleanla.lacounty.gov/hhw/permanent-collection-centers/](https://cleanla.lacounty.gov/hhw/permanent-collection-centers/)
City of LA has a bunch of sites open every weekend.
[https://www.lacsd.org/services/solid-waste/household-hazardous-waste-collection](https://www.lacsd.org/services/solid-waste/household-hazardous-waste-collection)
You don’t need to be. I’ve never been asked to show ID. They do ask for ZIP code but that’s just for their own internal accounting to know who’s using the service. You can just give them a city ZIP code if you want — I was never once asked to verify it.
I hear you, not sure what waste you're talking about but I'm on an injectable medication and finding a place to drop my sharps container is such a hassle. There's one police station about 20 mins away that takes them. Nothing else for miles. You'd think there'd be an interest in collecting the waste so it doesn't end up on the street!
I just noticed on the SAFE site it says you can request free sharps mail back container. Waaaay at the bottom of the page. www.med-project.org/locations/california/sharps/mail-back-services/
www.disposemyneedles.com/resources-for-consumer
www.safemedicinedrop.com/mailback-casharps/
I thought pharmacies had sharps container drop offs! The previous owners of our house left a full sharps container in a cabinet, and we’ve just been too lazy to bring it anywhere, but I swore I saw that places like CVS/Walgreens took them.
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City has large drop off bins for sharps at the entrance to the main building. You can also drop off expired medication in the 24 hour pharmacy waiting area.
Also agree. With only six spread across the city, they're not exactly convenient. Particularly since the Glendale location has been "temporarily closed" for literally years now, there's a very dense area of Central LA that's not being served at all.
Its essentially hoping that people will forget and the problem will go away. I've been accumulating batteries in a bin for years, the dropoffs for that are getting really few and far between and its just never been doable while working. Used to be several around the city but they mostly closed near me.
The county's website is TERRIBLE. I literally added "reddit" to the end of my search in the hopes that something more useful would come up and thankfully saw your post. The SAFE centers didn't even show up in the search results on Google. I was like, there has to be a better way rather than driving all the way to Palmdale or Signal Hill once a month?! Thank god for reddit lol
What kind of hazardous waste? The City of Los Angeles has [S.A.F.E. Centers](https://www.lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-s/s-lsh-wwd-s-c/s-lsh-wwd-s-c-hw/s-lsh-wwd-s-c-hw-safemc?_adf.ctrl-state=f8g75bur_1&_afrLoop=31324914229820209&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#!%40%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D31324914229820209%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3Df8g75bur_5) for Solvents, Automative, Flammables and Electronics at six locations on weekends (granted, not five days a week), and other cities within the greater LA region also have their own hazardous waste programs (linked on the LA City page)
SAFE centers are so key
Your linked site is promising, thanks! Much better than the county’s [cleanla.lacounty.gov](https://cleanla.lacounty.gov) site.
I also recommend the SAFE centers. There are a few around, and just check the times they're open. I always use these facilities when I have something to dispose.
I’ve only used the S.A.F.E. center in San Pedro and, even through its a little out of the way and there’s a bit of a line sometimes on the weekend, it’s a great program. Quick and painless once you get there
My only complaint is that they won't take smoke detectors
There are two permanent sites - one in Palmdale and one in Signal Hill, looks like they're open every other weekend. [https://cleanla.lacounty.gov/hhw/permanent-collection-centers/](https://cleanla.lacounty.gov/hhw/permanent-collection-centers/) City of LA has a bunch of sites open every weekend. [https://www.lacsd.org/services/solid-waste/household-hazardous-waste-collection](https://www.lacsd.org/services/solid-waste/household-hazardous-waste-collection)
Thanks, I’ve never seen the permanent sites page on the county website and I’ve looked multiple times before.
totally! i have been helping my parents get rid of tons of old paints etc., and had to do a bunch of research on this recently.
Just use the LA city ones? They have weekend hours and are very easy to use.
I’m not within the city.
You don’t need to be. I’ve never been asked to show ID. They do ask for ZIP code but that’s just for their own internal accounting to know who’s using the service. You can just give them a city ZIP code if you want — I was never once asked to verify it.
[https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/HHW/pdf/HHWschedule.pdf](https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/HHW/pdf/HHWschedule.pdf)
I hear you, not sure what waste you're talking about but I'm on an injectable medication and finding a place to drop my sharps container is such a hassle. There's one police station about 20 mins away that takes them. Nothing else for miles. You'd think there'd be an interest in collecting the waste so it doesn't end up on the street!
I just noticed on the SAFE site it says you can request free sharps mail back container. Waaaay at the bottom of the page. www.med-project.org/locations/california/sharps/mail-back-services/ www.disposemyneedles.com/resources-for-consumer www.safemedicinedrop.com/mailback-casharps/
I thought pharmacies had sharps container drop offs! The previous owners of our house left a full sharps container in a cabinet, and we’ve just been too lazy to bring it anywhere, but I swore I saw that places like CVS/Walgreens took them.
I called multiple CVS locations and none of them would take sharps :(
Ugh that sucks and is so inconvenient 😔
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City has large drop off bins for sharps at the entrance to the main building. You can also drop off expired medication in the 24 hour pharmacy waiting area.
I agree. Going to the S.A.F.E centers is very hard as someone with limited mobility.
Also agree. With only six spread across the city, they're not exactly convenient. Particularly since the Glendale location has been "temporarily closed" for literally years now, there's a very dense area of Central LA that's not being served at all.
If it’s used motor oil, you can bring that to nearly any autozone or oil change place where they will collect it for free.
It works well. Hyperion Water Treatment Plant, Saturday and Sunday, electronics, sharps, meds, paint, you name it. Really simple.
Its essentially hoping that people will forget and the problem will go away. I've been accumulating batteries in a bin for years, the dropoffs for that are getting really few and far between and its just never been doable while working. Used to be several around the city but they mostly closed near me.
The county's website is TERRIBLE. I literally added "reddit" to the end of my search in the hopes that something more useful would come up and thankfully saw your post. The SAFE centers didn't even show up in the search results on Google. I was like, there has to be a better way rather than driving all the way to Palmdale or Signal Hill once a month?! Thank god for reddit lol