What Happens to Hazardous Waste

  • Watch our household hazardous waste video to learn about the process and how you can keep harmful hazardous waste out of the landfill.
  • Paint collected at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot that still appears to be in usable condition is available free of charge through the City’s Paint Reuse Program, which helps puts paint where it belongs – on buildings, walls, and fences.
  • Paint is inspected and good quality, reusable paints can also be hand sorted by colour for processing into recycled content paint.
  • Most non-recyclable paints are manufactured into other products, including Processed Latex Pigment (PLP) which is used in the manufacturing of cement. A very small percentage of non-reusable paint is disposed at secure landfill sites.
  • Motor oil is shipped to facilities where it is processed and refined into new motor oil. Oil filters are drained of oil and crushed and created into dense, steel bricks. The steel and oil are sold to scrap yards and refineries.
  • Antifreeze is shipped to a processing facility where contaminants are removed and additives are added to restore the properties of the antifreeze.
  • Medications and pharmaceuticals are neutralized and disposed in a secure landfill.
  • Pesticides are destroyed by high temperatures, contaminants are removed and gases are neutralized. Any solid residue is disposed of in a secure landfill.
  • Gasoline, kerosene, diesel, fuel and aerosols are shipped to a facility, processed and blended to produce a waste fuel that powers cement kilns. 
  • Miscellaneous wastes such as cleaners, disinfectants and pool chemicals are lab-packed in certain categories and shipped for treatment or disposal. Some are treated and blended to produce waste fuel. Others are destroyed, neutralized and disposed.
  • Syringes, lancets and sharps are packed in a sharps container and sent to a licensed facility that incinerates the waste product.
  • Household and automotive batteries are shipped for recycling. The various metals and plastics are all separated and reused to manufacture new batteries.
  • Fluorescent lamps are transported to recycling facilities where they are processed to be used in other products.