Use when you have household items you can't just trash (old paint, car batteries, lithium cells, motor oil, pesticides, needles, propane tanks, CFL/LED bulbs, electronics, expired meds) — item-by-item verdicts (trash / HHW facility / take-back / retailer drop-off / never-drain warnings) with WHY in one line, the never-do list (paint thinner down the drain, lithium in trash, needles in plastic bottles), multi-item garage-cleanout audit mode that groups everything into one facility trip, storage rules until drop-off (lithium terminals, oil containers, original labels), and US/EU/UK take-back channel finders.
Don't guess. Don't drain. Route it. Every garage and under-sink
cabinet holds 5-15 items that are illegal or dangerous to trash —
and most people guess. Wrong guesses start garbage trucks fires
(lithium), poison waterways (oil, paint), or endanger workers
(needles in plastic bottles).
Overview
dispose — item → verdict: where it goes, WHY (one line),
warnings. Covers 20+ item families: paints, solvents, batteries
(lead-acid / lithium / alkaline), motor oil, coolant, pesticides,
pool chems, propane, CFL/LED, e-waste, meds, needles, thermometers,
smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, asbestos-suspect, gasoline.
audit — garage/basement cleanout: list everything, get one
grouped manifest (which items to which channel) for a single trip.
storage — safe interim storage rules until drop-off day
(lithium bagging, oil containers, no-mixing, original labels).
channels — where to take things: US (Earth911-style search
terms + retailer take-back), EU (WEEE/municipal recycling yards),
UK (council HWRC), plus meds take-back everywhere.
never — the never-do list, printed with reasons.
Pure stdlib, offline. Regulations vary by locality — verdicts are the
consensus safe default; verify local rules for your address.
When to Use
Cleaning out garage / basement / dead relative's house
After a paint project, oil change, or battery swap
"Can I throw this in the bin?" — any item you suspect
Renovation debris with old chemicals/tubes
Setting up a household's permanent disposal map
Don't use for: active spills, unknown mixed chemicals reacting,
asbestos already crumbling (airborne = professional abatement), or
commercial quantities (different law).
→ grouped manifest: HHW-facility pile vs retailer drop-offs vs
trash-safe pile + trip plan.
Store safely until the run:
text
python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py storage
Find your local channels:
text
python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py channels --region US
python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py channels --region EU
Memorize one thing — the never list:
text
python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py never
The Verdict Table (excerpts)
Item
Verdict
Why
Latex paint (dried solid)
trash
Inert once fully dry — air-dry or mix with cat litter
Oil paint / solvents
HHW facility
VOC + heavy metals; never drain/trash liquid
Car battery (lead-acid)
Retailer drop-off
Retailers must take core; ~$10 core credit
Li-ion packs / power tool / e-bike
HHW / battery bin
#1 cause of garbage truck fires; tape terminals
Alkaline (modern, US)
trash (or recycle)
No mercury since ~1996; EU: battery bin
Motor oil
Any auto parts store
1 L oil contaminates ~1M L water; stores resell it
Gasoline (old)
HHW facility
Never pour in grass/drains; degrades but ignitable
Propane tank (BBQ)
Retailer exchange / HHW
Pressurized + explosive in compactors
CFL bulbs
HHW / retail bin
Mercury vapor — never break in trash
LED / incandescent
trash
No mercury; no special handling
Meds (expired)
Pharmacy take-back
Never flush (water supply); DEA take-back days US
Needles / lancets
Sharps program
Never loose or in plastic bottles (workers)
Smoke alarm (ionization)
Mail-back mfr program
Americium-241 — tiny but regulated
Fire extinguisher
HHW / fire dept
Pressurized; discharge completely first if allowed
Weed killer / pesticides
HHW facility
Herbicides persist; never dilute-down-drain
Common Pitfalls
"Thinners and paints down the drain." Drains lead somewhere:
septic fields die, municipal plants can't strip solvents, and it's
illegal nearly everywhere. Liquid solvent = HHW, always.
Li-ion in the bin. Damaged cells short in the compactor —
garbage truck fires have doubled in many cities from batteries
alone. Tape terminals, bag separately, battery channel.
Mixing leftovers "to save space." Pool chlorine + acids,
ammonia + bleach, oxidizers + organics: mixing containers can
react in transport/storage. Original containers, never combined.
Needles in soda bottles. Sanitation worker injuries; the
program exists specifically because this fails. Sharps container
or a labeled rigid container per local program.
Wet latex paint in the trash. Liquid paint leaks through
trucks, paints streets. DRY it first (cat litter / paint hardener
/ air) — then it's trash.
Breaking CFLs to "fit the bin." Mercury vapor exposure to you;
sealed plastic bag if broken, HHW if intact.
Full propane tanks to trash/compactor. Explosive in compactors.
Exchange programs take old tanks; HHW takes odd sizes.
Hoarding HHW "for later." Containers corrode (old gas cans,
acid bottles), fumes accumulate; plan a drop-off run within a
month of cleanout.
Example
text
$ hazmat_router.py dispose --item "car battery"
CAR BATTERY (lead-acid):
VERDICT: retailer drop-off — any auto parts store; core credit
(~$10 on new battery). Scrap yards pay by weight.
WHY: 8+ kg lead + sulfuric acid; landfill = groundwater.
WARN: keep upright, terminals not shorting (no tools across posts).
$ hazmat_router.py audit --items "latex paint,oil paint,car battery,li-ion packs,CFL bulbs,old gasoline"
CLEANOUT MANIFEST — 6 items, 2 channels:
HHW FACILITY RUN: oil paint, CFL bulbs, old gasoline, li-ion packs*
RETAILER DROP-OFF: car battery (auto parts store, ~$10 credit)
TRASH (prepared): latex paint — dry with cat litter first
*tape/bag lithium terminals before transport
TRIP PLAN: battery to parts store today (credit), rest to HHW
Saturday. Check facility hours — many are weekly-only.
Verification Checklist
Every questionable item checked against the verdict table
Audit manifest built; channels grouped for minimum trips
