Hazardous Waste Disposal Information

Many materials fall in the category of Hazardous Waste and should not be disposed of with regular household waste. Some of these items, even in small quantities, can pose significant risks to trash truck drivers, and landfill operators. A vast majority of the fires that occur in trash trucks and at landfills can be traced to improperly disposed of hazardous waste.

On this page learn about:

Batteries and Cell Phones recycling
Waste Oil disposal
Household Hazardous Waste Days
For More Information

Batteries and Cell Phones

Rechargeable Batteries often contain hazardous elements such as mercury, cadmium or arsenic. Bring to TBI Facility.

Ni-Cd and Other Rechargeable Batteries – cordless phone, laptop computer, power tools, electric tooth brush, beeper, etc.
Button Batteries – hearing aid, watch, calculator no longer contain hazards and may go in the trash
Specialty Batteries – lithium camera batteries and other specialty batteries
Cell phones – the battery, the phone, and all accessories can be recycled - take them to a cell phone dealer or electronics store. (like Best Buy)

Automobile Batteries

Automobile batteries are collected at TBI Facility for a nominal fee. Many local auto parts stores may take them.

Do not recycle

Alkaline batteries (regular A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9volt) & button batteries are not hazardous and should be disposed of at home with your regular trash.

Waste Oil

Waste oil is very damaging to our waterways and ground water when not disposed of property. You have several disposal options:

Retail stores which sell motor oil are required to take back used motor oil if you have a receipt. The law provides for a limit of 2 gallons per person per day. You can call the Used Oil Hotline with questions or to report retailers who are unwilling to accept used oil from customers who have a receipt -- (617) 556-1022.
Waste Oil Collection at the DPW
When: First and third Saturday of the month
Where: Department of Public Works, 384 Osgood Street
From: 9am until NOON

Household Hazardous Waste Days

North Andover provides its residents with 2 comprehensive collection events each year, in the spring and fall, at the TBI Facility located at 210 Holt Road. Watch for these dates on Public Works News and Announcements and Current Happenings. Please click here for a list of the Reciprocal Hazardous Household Waste Day times and locations.You can contact the Department of Public Works for more information and to inquire about upcoming dates, or check the Trash and Recycling page for new events.

Information will also be posted on the Gov CAM channel - which may be accessed from the front page of the Town website:

As a side note: TV's, Monitors, batteries, propane tanks & appliances are not a free drop off on Hazardous Waste Day. They may be taken to the 210 Holt RD site any day of the year during their business hours for a fee - call 978-686-2020 for more information. TBI will also take LATEX PAINT for a fee and it must be dried up.

Acceptable Materials

General Household & Hobby	Laundry/Other
Acids (corrosives) Aerosol Cans (with product) Art Supplies Chemistry Set Chemicals CRTs – TVs, computer monitors (for a nominal fee) Fiberglass Resins Flammable Liquids Furniture Polish Floor and metal polishes Hobby supplies (rubber cement, airplane glue, etc.) Lead Paint Mercury and mercury devices Moth balls/crystals Oil Based Paints ONLY (there is a fee for latex dropoff) Photography chemicals Solvent adhesives Unlabeled and unknown chemicals	Brighteners Chlorine bleach Spot removers Spray starch Whiteners Lawn and Garden chemicals Cesspool cleaners (corrosives) Empty or partially empty propane tanks (up to 20lbs - for a nominal fee) Fire starters Flea and tick powders Fungicides and Herbicides Insecticides No-pest strips and Pesticides Poisons Pool chemicals
Kitchen	Automotive
Drain cleaner Lighter fluids Oven cleaners	Antifreeze Brake fluid Carburetor cleaners Lead-acid batteries (auto, motorcycle, security alarm, etc. - there may be a fee for some batteries) Radiator flush Solvents and degreasers Transmission fluid Waste Fuels (gasoline, kerosene, etc.)
Bathroom
Hair dye Nail polish remover Toilet cleaners

Unacceptable Materials and How to Dispose of each

Alkaline Batteries & button batteries - Dispose of with regular household trash
Asbestos - Look in the Yellow Pages under Asbestos Removal for a licensed contractor
Construction Waste - (including railroad ties, shingles, dry wall, etc.) - Check with TBI for a demolition debris Dropoff - for a fee or call a private hauler
Explosives - Call 911.
Fire extinguishers - Disposal Instructions.
Hypodermic needles - Place in a puncture-proof container (such as a liquid detergent container) with a screw-on lid and bring them to the Board of Health office during business hours (120 Main Street- Public Nurse) or the Fire Station. (795 Chickering Road)
Latex Paint - Keep removing skim coat so that paint dries completely (some hardware type stores offer a substance to speed the drying of latex paint) - Once paint is completely dried up it may be put in the trash cover must be off the container. (TBI does accept latex paint at their facility during business hours for a nominal fee (when last updated the fee was $5.00 per container.) Their number 978-686-2020.
Smoke Detectors - May be disposed of with your regular trash or mailed back to the manufacturer. Manufacturer's address may be found on the underside of the unit.

If you miss Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day

If you are not able to wait until the next free HHW event because you are moving for instance, or if you just missed an event and really want to rid you home of your hazardous waste, you may contact the MA GOV website, or contact:

Clean Harbors of Braintree - 1 Hill Ave, Braintree MA 02184. Phone: 781-380-7100.
Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility - 60 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA. Anyone can bring household hazardous products to the Minuteman Facility. Residents from Arlington, Bedford MA, Belmont, Chelmsford, Lexington, Lincoln, Waltham and Watertown are not charged a fee. CALL FIRST, CURRENTLY THEY ARE LIMITING OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT MAY DROP OFF FOR A FEE.

Check the list of communities below to see if you need to pre-register or for your community's contact information.

Reciprocal Hazardous Household Waste Day times and locations

@ Minuteman - Concord residents who subscribe to the Town's curbside trash pickup are not charged a fee for using the MHP site, but must pre-register with the Concord DPW. Concord residents who do not subscribe to the Town's curbside collection will be assessed a fee at the site.

Residents of other communities will be charged a fee at the facility. The fee is $35 for up to 12 gallons of materials (dry or liquid volume equivalent.) The fee for 12 - 25 gallons of materials is $60. Residents bringing more than 25 gallons of materials will be charged a fee on top of the $60 based on the amount of material.

You will need to provide identification, and a CHECK to cover the fee. Cash and credit cards are not accepted.

Latex paint is NOT accepted.

DIRECTIONS to Minuteman: From Rte 128S take exit 31 (Rte 4/225 heading toward Bedford). At the first light take a right, via jug handle, onto Hartwell Avenue. The site is 1/4 mile down on the left just after the bike path at the composting facility.