Get Rid of Your Harmful Household Products, Safely!
Fall SAFE Disposal Events Start Soon; First Event is Sunday, September 20 in Manhattan
While the New York City Department of Sanitation provides robust and inclusive collection services for curbside recycling, not everything can safely be disposed of in the trash or recycling bin. It’s imperative that residents get rid of their unwanted items correctly, for the safety and well-being of the Sanitation Workers who handle the material, as well as the health of the city overall.
To give residents an easy way to dispose of potentially harmful household items such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury-containing devices, paints, automotive fluids, medications and e-waste, residents may attend a SAFE (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, and Electronics) Disposal event, held in each borough this fall. All events are rain or shine, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and only items from NYC residents will be accepted. The events are:
- Sunday, September 20, 2026 – Manhattan
Union Square Park, North Plaza - Saturday, September 26, 2026 – Queens
Cunningham Park - Sunday, October 11, 2026 – Brooklyn
Floyd Bennett Field - Saturday, October 17, 2026 – Staten Island
Midland Beach Parking Lot 8 - Saturday, October 24, 2026 – Bronx
Orchard Beach
Materials collected are either recycled, blended for fuel, or sent to licensed hazardous waste treatment facilities for safe disposal.
Additionally, the Department hosts five year-round Special Waste Drop-Off sites that accept aerosols, batteries, E-waste, E-cigarettes & vape pens, fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs, motor oil and transmission fluid, motor oil filters, paint, passenger car tires, and mercury-containing devices. These sites are open every Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and are:
- Bronx, Hunts Point
Farragut Street and the East River, next to the Fulton Fish Market
459 North Henry Street (drop-off site near 530 Kingsland Avenue)
- Manhattan, Lower East Side/Two Bridges
74 Pike Slip between Cherry Street and South Street
- Queens, College Point
30th Avenue, between 120th and 122nd Streets
- Staten Island, Fresh Kills
Off Muldoon Avenue exit of the southbound West Shore Expressway
These sites and events are not the only options. For more information and disposal options of specific items, visit www.nyc.gov/safedisposal or contact 311.
Photo: NYC.gov
