Parting Ways with Hazardous Waste

Aug. 8, 2026

Have you been doing home and lawn projects all summer long? If so, you may have some products like deck stain, fertilizer, or even just lightbulbs and batteries to get rid of. Grand Traverse County is holding its penultimate Recycle Smart hazardous waste collection of the summer on Thursday, Aug. 13. (The final one will be Sept. 12.) Appointments are required, and you can dispose of up to 150 pounds of materials without charge, though donations are appreciated. The average cost per carload is about $91, and the county collected 165,605 pounds of hazardous waste in 2025 alone! Make your appointment and get examples of what you can bring at gtcountymi.gov/1162/Household-Hazardous-Waste. Note that per the county, “Latex paints are water-based and are accepted, in liquid form only, at the Household Hazardous Waste events. Please dispose of hardened latex paint and empty paint cans with your regular household garbage.”