Special Waste

Special waste is any type of discarded material that requires special handling during its disposal or recycling process. It is very important to properly dispose of special waste because they can pose hazards to facility workers and be very detrimental to the environment if illegally dumped or sent to a regular landfill. 

For a full list of where to recycle special waste, check our locations page. 

E-Waste

​E-waste is the name for electronic products that are at the end of their "useful life". These products include old cell phones, computer equipment, printers, telephones, televisions, microwave ovens, stereos, and even hair appliances like straighteners or blow dryers. Basically, it's anything with a plug.

By recycling e-waste at an R2 or e-Stewards® certified facility, you are supporting a recycler that has demonstrated through audits and other means that they are meeting high environmental standards, safely managing used electronics, and advancing best management practices. Please check their websites to find a full list of locations in Nevada that offer R2 and e-Stewards certified recycling. 

Why Recycle E-Waste?

Electronic items often contain valuable materials that can be recycled like copper, aluminum, lithium, and gold. In order to minimize the amount of virgin resource extraction and energy use that occurs when creating new electronics, this equipment should be refurbished, reused and recycled whenever possible. Additionally, certain components of electronic products contain hazardous materials like lead and arsenic. It's very important that these materials are disposed of properly and do not end up in a regular landfill where they can leach into the surrounding environment, posing a threat to both humans and wildlife.

Responsible E-Waste Management

Certified Electronics Recyclers are e-waste recyclers that have become accredited through either the Responsible Recycling ("R2") Standard for Electronics Recyclers or the e-Stewards® Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment. By bringing e-waste to a facility that is either R2 or e-Stewards® certified, it is ensured that strong environmental standards that maximise reuse/recycling and advocate for safe management of materials by downstream handlers is enforced. 

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

HHW is leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients. This includes materials such as paints, cleaners, oils, antifreeze, batteries, light bulbs, and pesticides. Many communities have programs that collect these materials (see below for detials).

Why Recycle HHW?

It is very important that hazardous materials are disposed of properly in order to prevent contamination of our land, water, and air. When HHW is placed in a regular landfill, it can leach into the groundwater and contaminate the surrounding areas. Disposing HHW at a facility that is properly equipped to handle hazardous materials ensures not only the safety of Nevada's lands, but also of the facility workers who handle our waste before it heads to the landfill. Do not dispose of any household hazardous wastes by pouring them into storm drains, sewer systems, septic systems or on the ground.