How to Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste in Johnson County
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it's easy to accumulate various household products that, when no longer needed, can be dangerous to us and the environment.
These materials, often referred to as household hazardous waste, require special attention when it comes to disposal. If you’re cleaning out your house this fall and have unwanted items such as batteries, paint or cleaning supplies, it’s important to responsibly get rid of them.
There are two options in Johnson County where you can dispose of household hazardous waste. Johnson County Health and Environment operates a Household Waste and Reuse Facility, that accepts paint and household hazardous waste. The new facility, which opened in June, is in Overland Park off College Boulevard and Mastin Street.
The facility offers drop-off by appointment only. You can schedule an appointment online. Commonly accepted items at the facility include
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Note: If you store latex paint during the winter, be sure to keep it in a climate-controlled environment such as a basement or storage room. If they aren’t heated, garages and sheds get too cold – and if latex paint gets too cold, it will no longer be usable.
Since opening in June, the facility has collected more than 3,200 drop-offs from residents, with a total of approximately 450,000 pounds of household hazardous waste collected.
What happens to the household hazardous waste collected at the facility? Some of the items are redistributed to the public through a free store, while others are disposed of through environmentally responsible means.
At the free store, you can get a variety of products, including automotive chemicals, household cleaners, lawn and garden chemicals and more. Quality latex paint collected at the facility is re-blended on-site and available for purchase in five-gallon buckets.
Since the new facility opened, the free store has given away 16,000 pounds of materials to 450 residents. It has also sold more than 500 gallons of paint, with another 355 gallons of paint available for sale now.
No appointment is necessary to visit the free store or purchase re-blended paint. The store is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (closed for lunch from noon-1 p.m.).
The City of Olathe also operates a Household Hazardous Collection Facility that currently accepts items from all Johnson County residents. This may be a more convenient option if you live in southern Johnson County.
Additionally, several other surrounding counties offer household hazardous waste collection. You can find more information on area programs through RecycleSpot. Also, you can find a variety of recycling resources on our website: