Hazardous household waste
Certain household products may pose a risk to human health or the environment if not disposed of correctly.
Use this list to identify hazardous products frequently found within the home and to find out how to dispose of them safely.
Types of hazardous household waste
Examples of household products:
- batteries
- white spirit
- certain cleaning products
- fluorescent light tubes
- energy efficient lightbulbs
- mobile phones
- fridges and freezers
- gas cylinders
- fireworks
- smoke alarms.
Examples of garden products:
- pesticides
- herbicides
- feeds
- fungicides
- weed killers
- wood preservatives.
Examples of car maintenance products:
- anti-freeze
- brake fluid
- lubricants
- degreasers.
Why are these items hazardous?
These items have been classified as hazardous due to chemical ingredients which pose a risk to both human health and the environment or beacause they contain heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium which need to be captured and disposed of safely.
How to dispose of hazardous waste
With the exception of smoke alarms all of the above items are banned from wheeled bins and must not be placed in with your refuse.
Reuse and Recycling Centres
To safely dispose of the following items take them to one of the local Reuse and Recycling Centres:
- Car batteries
- Computer monitors
- Electrical and electronic equipment
- Energy efficient lightbulbs
- Engine oil
- Fire Extinguishers
- Fluorescent tubes
- Fridges and freezers
- Gas cylinders
- Household batteries
- Mobile phones
- Televisions
Natural cleaning products
Many everyday ingredients can be used as a natural alternative to hazardous cleaning products.
Our guide to natural cleaning products outlines some of the most common ingredients and their uses.
Bulky Waste Service
The following types of hazardous waste can be collected by Lambeth as part of the bulky waste service. Please note that there is a charge for this service.
- Fridges
- Freezers
- Televisions
London-wide collection service for asbestos
We subscribe to a London-wide collection service for asbestos and household chemicals.
The Corporation of London manages the service and they provide free collections of wrapped asbestos and packaged chemicals providing it is under a set volume or size. If the waste you wish to dispose of exceeds this limit, a charge will be made.
To find out more about asbestos and household chemicals and to arrange a collection, go to the:
Household Hazardous Waste Management Policy
To find out more about the management of hazardous household waste please read our Household Hazardous Waste Management Policy.