Paint, stain, solvent, thinner and adhesive, because liquid leaks through a load and contaminates everything under it. Fuels and oils for the same reason. Batteries, because vehicle batteries leak harmful chemicals when they are crushed.
Tires, because most landfills will not accept them: they trap gas and take a very long time to break down. Propane tanks and hot water tanks, because a sealed vessel can hold gas and become an explosion risk in a compactor.
Electronics and fluorescent tubes, because both need recovery of specific materials and tubes contain small amounts of mercury. Railroad ties and telephone poles, because they are treated with wood preservatives. And asbestos, which is refused outright and needs a licensed abatement contractor. What we take is the far longer positive list. There is more on what goes in.
RefusedLiquids
RefusedSealed vessels
Licensed onlyAsbestos
Avoiding It
Four steps that keep refused items out of the bin
Sort before you load
The garage shelf and the basement corner are where they always are.
One depot trip
Paint, solvent and fuels go to household hazardous waste in a single run.
Tag the refrigerant
Fridges, freezers and air conditioners need a certified drain first.
Ask if unsure
A phone call costs nothing. A separate disposal charge does not.
If One Slips
What happens when a prohibited item reaches the scale
It is pulled out of the load and disposed of separately, and that disposal is billed as its own line on the invoice. It is not a penalty, it is the cost of routing one item through a different facility, but it is always more than it would have cost you to take it there.
The commonest are a television in a house clear, a paint tin in a garage clear and a propane tank in a move. All three are avoidable with five minutes of sorting before the bin is loaded rather than after.
On a bulk day or a building clear, a notice on the bin does most of the work, because it is usually a resident rather than the person who booked it. Avoiding extra fees covers the other charges that can appear, and junk removal the awkward items.
