Do NOT Place Pool Chemicals in Your Trash & Recycling Bins!

Penn Waste would like to issue a reminder to residents in south central Pennsylvania that pool chemicals should NOT be disposed of in your curbside trash and recycling bins. Pool chemicals are considered hazardous waste and need to be disposed of properly. Scroll down to learn more.

The Problem

As noted by the EPA, pool chemicals are hazardous because when they mix with a small quantity of water or are improperly mixed, such as with other chemicals or reactive materials, they can ignite causing fires. They can also cause skin irritation and release toxic vapors.

Many pool chemicals are highly reactive and capable of generating high temperatures which will start fires. Reactivity may be triggered by water wetting the chemical or by the inadvertent mixing of pool chemicals with an incompatible material.

When pool chemicals are disposed of in the trash or recycling, there is a high risk of them reacting because they will come in contact with other liquids in our trucks. Rain, high humidity, and other general liquids disposed of in your trash and recycling can cause the pool chemicals to react when they get collected by our truck resulting in a truck fire (as seen in the above photo).

The Solution
Do not place pool chemicals in your trash and recycling! Here are several options for getting rid of pool chemicals:

1. Take them to a facility that handles hazardous waste. Make sure you check with your local solid waste authority to see if they accept pool chemicals prior to arriving.

• York County Solid Waste Authority – Click here
• Lancaster County Solid Waste Authority – Click here
• Dauphin County Solid Waste Authority – Click here 
• Cumberland County Solid Waste Authority – Click here

1. Check with the pool store you originally bought them from to see if they have a disposal method.

1. Donate them to a community pool or your neighbors who have pools.
2. Shock your pool by dumping the left over pool chemicals in before you close it for the season.

We appreciate your help in keeping our team members safe!