The HazMobile and hazardous waste
The HazMobile is a mobile collection service for household hazardous waste. The HazMobile is staffed by people specially trained in handling hazardous materials. It travels around the Auckland region and sets up shop at a public carpark to receive unwanted household hazardous waste from residents about 15 times a year.
The HazMobile accepts household materials that may be harmful to your health or the environment including chemicals, batteries, gas cylinders, oil, solvents, fluorescent light bulbs and paint strippers
Unwanted Paint
HazMobile no longer accepts paint.
Householders now have the year round option of returning unwanted paint to Resene PaintWise stores. Non-Resene brand paints will incur a small fee, however other paint suppliers are expected to offer a similar service shortly.
Click here to view a list of shops where you can dispose of unwanted paint.
You can also treat unwanted paint at home.
Empty paint containers are not hazardous, nor is waterbased paint once it is completely dry. It is only in when it’s liquid that water-based paint can be a major cause of water pollution. There are better ways to deal with it than going to the HazMobile:
- “treat” it yourself at home or;
- take it to one of the shops listed – no special drop-off days apply!
Home treatment for water-based paint
Water-based paint can be put out with the household rubbish if completely dry. You can dry out paint by mixing it with sand, cement, sawdust, plaster or even kitty litter. Leave the lid off so that the mixture dries faster. Empty containers belong in the rubbish, not the HazMobile!
Please remember that flammable solvent-based paint must go to one of the drop-off points above or the HazMobile for special treatment. Toxic paint such as lead-based or marine paints will still be accepted at HazMobile.
Please note that the hazmobile will no longer accept paint from January 2008 onwards.
What is household hazardous waste?
Household hazardous waste is any waste generated in the home, garden or garage that is potentially dangerous to health or the environment, or can cause damage to property.
This means any substance that is:
- Explosive eg. fireworks, ammunition and marine emergency flares
- Flammable eg. petrol, kerosene, oil and some types of paint
- Corrosive eg. strongly acidic and caustic cleaning fluids
- Chemically reactive eg. pool chemicals
- Toxic eg. garden sprays, rat poison, solvents, and various cleaners
- Eco-toxic eg. oil, paint and all kinds of batteries
- Radioactive eg. smoke alarms.
Why have special collections?
Hazardous waste can be dangerous at every stage of
its ‘life’. Hazardous materials stored at home can react with one another
and cause a fire or toxic fumes. Children can easily poison themselves. A
container may leak and contaminate the soil or groundwater. If hazardous waste
is disposed of with the rest of the household rubbish or put out with the
inorganic rubbish collection, the people who pick up the rubbish can be injured,
sometimes severely. And finally, hazardous waste that ends up in the landfill
can pollute our environment.
By offering a special collection for this waste, the councils of the Auckland Region provide householders with a chance to ‘do the right thing’ for everyone’s health and the environment - and it’s a great opportunity to raise awareness about hazardous waste!
Is there anything the HazMobile won’t accept?
- Asbestos - HazMobile is not equipped to transport asbestos containing material. Please refer to the Asbestos handling and disposal companies information sheet.
Asbestos Handling and Disposal Companies 
(12kb)
-
Ammunition or other explosives - we are not permitted to transport explosives. Please call your nearest Police Station if you need to dispose of such materials.
-
Medical waste such as syringes or pharmaceuticals - old medicines can be returned to your pharmacy, and your doctor or other health professional should be able to advise you how to dispose of medical waste safely.
- Computers or Oil Heaters - while these products contain hazardous material, HazMoblile does not accept or process them at this time. Please contact your local appliance/electronics supplier to find out if they have a product take-back service. Alternatively, you could repair your unwanted goods, or if they are still in working order, find them a new home by clicking the "Reduce rubbish at home" link below. As a last resort these items should be sent to landfill.
Most importantly, we do not accept hazardous waste from commercial operators. Managing waste is an integral part and normal cost of any business - ratepayers should not be charged for getting rid of business hazardous waste!
Transporting household hazardous waste safely
All containers should be in good condition - this means they should not have holes or be brittle, and the lid must be fitted tightly. They must be transported upright and secured so that they cannot fall over or leak liquid or gas. Leaking containers must be re-contained (this should be done outside if possible) in buckets with a lid or other plastic or glass containers that can be sealed. Heavy-duty plastic bags may be acceptable for solid wastes. Please label the container clearly to help the person receiving the waste.
Where does it all go?
Most of the waste received by the HazMobile is recycled:
paint is remixed and made into anti-graffiti paint- steel cans and many other containers are recycled
- solvents are refined for reuse
- batteries are recycled
- oil is refined for use as fuel
Only wastes that cannot be recycled or reused are treated and safely disposed of.
Healthy alternatives to household hazardous waste
Assemble a natural cleaning kit for your home.
In the bathroom:
- All purpose cleaner – wipe surfaces with baking soda and a damp cloth
- Mirror cleaner – Apply eucalyptus oil with a wad of newspaper to prevent mirrors fogging up
In the kitchen:
- Oven cleaner - three tablespoons of washing soda in one litre of warm water, spray on, wait 20 minutes and clean
- Silver cleaner – line a bowl with aluminium foil, fill with hot water and add a quarter of a cup of table salt, leave until tarnish disappears
In the living room:
- Air freshener – Simmer vinegar or herb mixtures in water, try cinnamon or cloves
- Carpet stains – make a spray from one cup of borax and two cups of water, spray on and wipe off with a damp sponge
In the laundry:
- Bleach – use a cup of lemon juice in half a bucket of water and soak overnight
- Stains – use eucalyptus oil to remove stains before washing
See
the Auckland Regional Council's "Healthy Alternatives to Household
Chemicals" PDF
(360kb)
You will need Acrobat Reader to view these
documents, which can be downloaded free from www.adobe.com.
Waste
minimisation