Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event in Rainier May 20

Your household hazardous waste must be in your vehicle's bed, trunk, or hatchback - not the passenger compartment. Unloading may take a few extra minutes as extra safety measures will be in place. Please be patient, and please remain in your car.

The City of Rainier will host a county-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 8 a.m. until noon. The HHW Event will be held at 690 West A Street, next to the Rainier Sewage Treatment Plant. You can drop off various toxic and unsafe household materials at no cost.

Trained household hazardous waste technicians will unload materials from your vehicle. Items must be in containers of less than five (5) gallons and should be secured safely during transport.

Examples of acceptable items are:

  • fireworks and flares 
  • gas / diesel / fuels / motor oil / antifreeze
  • lawn and garden chemicals 
  • herbicides and pesticides 
  • pool and spa chemicals 
  • light ballasts—must be removed from light fixtures
  • fluorescent tubes 
  • art and hobby chemicals 
  • solvents and thinners 
  • items containing mercury 
  • propane and compressed gas cylinders 
  • batteries – all types and applications
  • cleaners and detergents 
  • poisons 
  • paint and paint products (latex and acrylic paint, oil-based paint, enamel, stains, lacquers, shellacs, varnishes, primers, etc.)
  • cooking oil
  • medical sharps in OSHA-approved, puncture-proof containers
  • ammunition 

 Do NOT bring:

  • items containing asbestos
  • garbage or trash
  • liquids in containers larger than five gallons

The Rainier Police Department (106 West B Street) accepts expired or unwanted medication in their lobby. Place items in the Safe Medication Disposal collection box during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Medical Sharps containers can be obtained and exchanged at the Columbia River Fire & Rescue – Rainier Station (211 West 2nd Street) during business hours Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Unwanted paint products, used motor oil, and electronics are accepted free of charge at the Transfer Station during regular business hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

There here will be four additional county-sponsored HHW collection events in 2023. Future Columbia County HHW collection dates and locations are:

  • June 10, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Helens Transfer Station;
  • August 26, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Helens Transfer Station; 
  • October 7, 8 a.m. to noon in Clatskanie; and
  • October 21, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Helens Transfer Station.

The HHW collection event schedule is available on the Columbia County website at https://www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/SolidWaste/hhw-schedule.

For more information, contact Jacob Anderson by phone at 503-397-7259 or by email at jacob.anderson@columbiacountyor.gov.

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ABOUT COLUMBIA COUNTY'S SOLID WASTE PROGRAM 

Columbia County plans, organizes, and directs the recycling, reuse, waste reduction, and household hazardous waste management programs throughout its 657-square-mile area. The county also operates a transfer station in St. Helens and administers the solid waste collection events within the county's unincorporated areas.



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