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Union County’s Final Household Hazardous Waste Event Scheduled for Sunday, October 25

A flyer announcing the final Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) event of the 2026 season will be held on Sunday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical School, West Hall/ Police Academy Lot, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners is reminding residents that the final Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) event of the 2026 season will be held on Sunday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical School, West Hall/ Police Academy Lot, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. Residents are encouraged to bring a variety of household chemicals for proper recycling or disposal that include, but are not limited to, oil-based finishes, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides and more. For a complete list of acceptable items, please visit ucnj.org/recycling/household-special-waste/ or call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9890.

“We have only a few weeks left until our final household hazardous waste event; this is a great opportunity for residents to gather any unwanted household materials and potentially hazardous chemicals for safe disposal,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “By participating in our recycling programs, you are making our community safer for our families, pets, and wildlife; I encourage you to take advantage of this free program before the season comes to a close.”

Subsequent events to the October 2026 HHW Event will kick off in the spring of 2027.  Residents who have household chemicals in need of disposal and cannot make the October 2026 HHW event have the following options:

  1. Middlesex County is having one additional HHW event on Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The event will be held at Middlesex College, located at  2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. Please use the Mill Road entrance (Parking Lot #2).  To attend this event, please contact Bureau Chief Stuart Newman at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning at 908-654-9892 or email stuart.newman@ucnj.org to make arrangements.
  1. The Morris County Utilities Authority (MCUA) operates a permanent HHW facility that is open year-round.  This facility accepts non-Morris County residents for the proper disposal of HHW. The facility is located at 168 Gold Mine Road in Flanders, NJ.  They accept vehicles by appointment only.  Morris County charges a fee of $2.00 per pound for disposal of material for non-Morris County residents. To schedule an appointment online, visit https://mcmua.com/sw_hhw_pfac.asp.  
  1. Safely store your household hazardous waste items until Union County’s HHW events resume in the Spring of 2027. Please look for the 2027 dates on Union County’s Bureau of Recycling and Planning page in the coming weeks by visiting ucnj.org/recycling.  For further information on the proper home storage of household chemicals or HHW, you can consult the USEPA’s website (https://www.epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw).

At the October 25th event, the Union County Police Department (UCPD) Bomb Squad will be onsite at the Union County VoTech for the collection of unwanted ammunition only!  At this event, the UCPD will not be taking fireworks.  If you do have unwanted fireworks, it is recommended that you store them in a dry place in your home.  Arrangements are being made to accommodate firework disposal in the near future.  If you have any questions regarding disposal or management of household hazardous waste, please contact the Bureau of Recycling and Planning at 908-654-9890 or contact the Bureau Chief by email at stuart.newman@ucnj.org.