Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

The 2025 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event for Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook, and South Hampton has been scheduled for October 4, 2025 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Exeter Public Works Garage, Newfields Road (RT 85).

Important information about this year's event:

• Preregistration is REQUIRED: https://publicinput.com/exeterhhw2025
• You will choose a 30-minute drop off timeslot; please arrive during your slot.
• A user fee of $15 to offset the costs will be collected during online registration.
• Fluorescent bulbs are NOT accepted beginning in 2025.

Prohibited Items:

We accept a wide range of materials at the Household Hazardous Waste collection, but there are certain items that you should never bring. These include latex paint, fluorescent bulbs, ionizing smoke detectors, radioactive compounds, propane tanks and compressed gas cylinders, explosive and shock sensitive materials, medications, needles, and other medical waste.

• Latex Paint -- is not hazardous and can be put in your regular trash once it is dried out.
• Fluorescent Bulbs -- can be disposed of at your local transfer station or at any participating store. Click here for details.
• Prescription Medication -- can be brought to your nearest Police Department Drop Box. Here’s a list of designated locations across the state: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents/2021-11/bdas-drop-box-locations.pdf.
• Syringes -- for information about disposing of needles in NH, visit: https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/sw-31.pdf
• Asbestos -- residents should work with a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. Find licensed contractors and learn more from the NH Department of Environmental Services Asbestos Management webpage.
• Carbon Monoxide Detectors -- most carbon monoxide detectors do not contain radioactive material and can be recycled with other electronics.
• Electronics -- contact your local transfer station about how to recycle TVs, computers, monitors, tablets, and other electronics. Aurum Recovery, located in Goffstown, NH also collects electronics.
• Empty Containers -- empty bottles, cans, and containers can go in the trash. Pressurized tanks such as propane tanks should be brought to a recycler.
• Explosives & Shock Sensitive Materials -- Call 911 immediately if you realize that you have explosive chemicals in your home. Do not attempt to move or transport them. They can explode simply from being handled.
• Fire Extinguishers -- return to Impact Fire, located in Hudson, NH.
• Freon Appliances -- contact your local transfer station. Aurum Recovery accepts number of small appliances, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. NHSaves hosts seasonal turn-in events.
• Marine Flares -- are classified as an explosive. Contact your local police or fire department.
• Propane Tanks & Compressed Gas Cylinders -- contact your local transfer station.
• Radioactive Compounds -- contact the manufacturer.
• Smoke Detectors -- ionizing smoke detectors contain radioactive material. They can be returned to the manufacturer (Smoke Detector Manufacturer List) or mailed to a recycler (Curie Environmental).
• Vapes -- disposable vapes contain both batteries and nicotine so they fall under multiple federal regulations. If the battery and the nicotine cannot be separated then they cannot be accepted at a HHW collection.
• Creosote -- contact your local transfer station.

About the HHW Collection Program:

The Rockingham Planning Commission has organized regional HHW serving communities in central Rockingham County New Hampshire since the mid 1980’s. Our program objectives include:

• Provide convenient options for residents to safely and properly dispose of HHW.
• Utilize Contractor services in the most cost-effective manner possible.
• Maximize first-time participants and minimize repeat participants through education efforts.
• Accept a wide array of HHW while encouraging alternative disposal methods for universal wastes.
• Discourage actions that lead to unsafe disposal of HHW.
  
  
  

This regional collection serves the communities of Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, East Kingston, Epping, Seabrook and South Hampton with a combined population of 42,452. The collection is conducted in partnership with the Town of Exeter, whereby the RPC is the organizer and manager of the event and Exeter is fiscal agent, executes the NHDES household hazardous waste grant (which subsidizes the collection), and hosts the event at the Exeter Department of Public Works facility.