Menlo Park Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off

Menlo Park and San Mateo County Health scheduled a household hazardous waste drop-off event for Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Menlo Park, according to city and county event pages. The collection was open to San Mateo County residents and covered common household hazardous materials including batteries, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, fertilizers and fluorescent lights. The city said the event was part of its household hazardous waste program, which directs residents to dispose of toxic materials through special handling rather than regular trash service. San Mateo County Health said appointments were required and that the exact drop-off location would be provided only after a booking was completed. ### Which materials were residents told they could bring? The City of Menlo Park listed acids and bases, aerosol cans that are not empty, automotive products, batteries, cleaning products, fertilizers, insecticides, paints, pharmaceuticals, sharps, solvents, thinner, varnish and stains among the materials handled through its household hazardous waste program. The city’s page also included electronics such as computers, laptops and monitors in its broader list of items requiring special disposal. (menlopark.gov) InMenlo’s event notice highlighted batteries, paint and paint thinner, pesticides, fertilizers and fluorescent lights as examples of household hazardous waste accepted at the Menlo Park collection. The notice said the event was hosted in partnership with San Mateo County Environmental Health. ### Who could use the Menlo Park drop-off? San Mateo County Health said drop-off appointments are free for all San Mateo County residents. (menlopark.gov) The county’s appointment page lists Menlo Park among the cities where household hazardous waste events are held, alongside Daly City, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo and South San Francisco. InMenlo reported that all County of San Mateo residents could use the May 16 event in Menlo Park. (inmenlo.com) The city’s own event listings described the collection as a special event at a selected location in Menlo Park. ### Why did residents need an appointment first? San Mateo County Health said residents must choose a day, time and location through its online appointment system or by phone at 650-372-6200. (smchealth.org) The county said names and addresses are used to confirm county residency and that the drop-off location is sent after the appointment is finalized. A city post for the May 16 event listed hours of 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (inmenlo.com) NewsBreak, citing the local event notice, said residents had to schedule in advance to receive location details. ### How much waste could one vehicle bring? State transport rules limit each appointment to 10 gallons of liquid waste or 50 pounds of solid hazardous waste, San Mateo County Health said. (smchealth.org) The county said residents with more material can make multiple appointments, but cannot transport more than that amount in one vehicle load. The county also said the program cannot accept containers larger than 5 gallons. (newsbreak.com) For oversized containers, residents are instructed to transfer material into sealed containers no larger than 5 gallons and label them with the original product name and description. ### What were the handling instructions at the site? San Mateo County Health told residents to keep waste in original, non-leaking containers and place items in boxes or crates so they remain upright during transport. (smchealth.org) The county said participants should stay inside their vehicles at all times once they arrive and that staff would unload materials. The county’s appointment page also said some items are not accepted through the program, including nitrous oxide canisters and lithium-ion batteries larger than AA size. (smchealth.org) Residents seeking the current accepted-items list were directed to the county program rules and Menlo Park’s household hazardous waste page. Saturday’s collection was listed on Menlo Park’s event calendar for May 16, 2026, and the city’s household hazardous waste page said additional events would appear under “Upcoming events.” San Mateo County Health said residents can also sign up for future household hazardous waste drop-off notifications through the county program. (smchealth.org) (menlopark.gov)