Special waste collection (i.e., Household Hazardous Waste, electronics recycling, and document shredding) will be relocated to RFK Stadium Lot 3, 2400 E Capitol St NE. Benning Road Transfer Station is temporarily closed until further notice. Special Waste Collection Events will take place on one Thursday and one Saturday each month through March 2024. View the current schedule.
The Special Waste Collection event may be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. Please check twitter.com/dczerowaste or twitter.com/DCDPW for the most up-to-date information.
The safe disposal of hazardous household waste (HHW) and unwanted electronic equipment such as computers, televisions, VCRs/DVRs, stereos, and fax machines (Electronic Recycling) help to prevent the release of dangerous, toxic substances into the environment and prevent harm and injury to DPW workers. Please review our list of Accepted/Prohibited Items. Only some of the items on this list are accepted at the eCYCLE DC events run by electronics manufacturers and overseen by DOEE. For details on those events, please see DOEE’s eCYCLE DC Program.
- Burn or cause a fire
- Eat away materials
- Destroy living tissue on contact
- Cause an explosion or release poisonous fumes when exposed to air, water, or other chemicals
- Damage or destroy cells and chromosomal material
Please do not put these items in the trash or recycling containers, or set them out for bulk collection for DPW to pick up.
HHW Prohibited Items – Medicine, Needles, & Sharps are household hazardous wastes that require special treatment.
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Needles & Sharps (syringes used for diabetic injections) The improper disposal of contaminated sharps is a serious safety concern for garbage collectors and landfill workers. Please review the Department of Energy and the Environment.- step-by-step guidance sheet for safe disposal.
- Medicine (Do not pour medications down the sink or flush down the toilet.) Please see the What Goes Where?" tool on the District's Zero Waste website. Enter “medications” in the search box for a list of local pharmacies with medication drop-off boxes. If you cannot make it to a drop-off location, mix crushed pills or liquid with dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds, then put them in the trash. Empty pill bottles are recyclable after removing personal information and label from the bottle.
Document Shredding
We also accept personal documents to be shredded one Thursday and one Saturday every month, at RFK Stadium Lot 3, 2400 E Capitol St NE. No documents will be accepted for shredding at the Benning Road or Fort Totten Transfer Stations.
Drop-off Schedule for HHW / Electronics Recycling
Beginning July 8, 2023, disposing of HHW and unwanted electronic equipment is possible on one Thursday and one Saturday each month, at RFK Stadium Lot 3, 2400 E Capitol St NE. Neither the Fort Totten Transfer Station nor the Benning Road Transfer Station will accept these items during this change.
The electronics recycling drop-off at RFK Stadium Lot 3 is separate from the eCYCLE DC events run by electronics manufacturers and overseen by the Department of Energy & Environment. For details on those events, please see DOEE’s eCYCLE DC Program
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