Household Special/Hazardous Waste

Help protect the environment by separating your household hazardous wastes from your regular garbage. Bring in your household special wastes (HSW) so they may be disposed of properly. The depot is open to Barrie and Simcoe County residents.

What are Hazardous Materials?

Hazardous materials are substances that can be classified into one or more of the following categories:



Labels with corresponding symbols should be affixed to the bottles of the substances for identification purposes.

How should Household Hazardous Materials be Disposed of in Barrie?

Household hazardous materials should be disposed of at the City of Barrie Household Special Waste Depot (HSWD), open every Saturday between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm at the City of Barrie Landfill Site (272 Ferndale Drive North). Disposal is FREE to all Barrie and Simcoe County residents.

Effects of Improper Disposal of Hazardous Materials

When these materials are improperly disposed of through the sanitary sewer system (by way of household drains such as the kitchen or laundry room sinks), they do not receive the treatment necessary to diffuse their environmental impact and are discharged into Kempenfelt Bay affecting plant and animal species as well as water quality and ultimately public health.

When these materials are disposed of improperly into the storm sewer system by way of drains along the edge of the road, they enter directly into ditches and creeks with NO treatment, harming the natural environment and killing local fish and wildlife.

What to Do if a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulk or Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb Breaks in Your Home

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapour. The broken bulb can continue to release mercury vapour until it is cleaned up and removed from the residence. To minimize the exposure to mercury vapour, it is recommended that residents follow specific steps for clean up and disposal. The steps are outlined in a document provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To access this document as a pdf please click on this link. 

Unacceptable Materials at the Household Special Waste Depot

More than 25L of MHSW per residence per month More than 25L of waste oil per residence per month More than 5 used oil filters per residence per month 5 gallon pails of oil Commercial and/or industrial waste

Ammunition or explosives Radioactive materials Unidentifiable materials Waste containing biohazards

Acceptable Materials at the Household Special Waste Depot

Aerosol cans Antifreeze  Batteries  Bleach Brake fluid  Cleaning products  Cosmetics

Drain cleaners Empty oil containers Fertilizers  Fire extinguishers  Fluorescent light bulbs  Gasoline  Lighters

Medication Motor oil Nail polish remover  Paint  Paint thinners  Pool chemicals  Propane/butane Sharps (needles) Thermometers

All HSW, including needles and syringes, must be in rigid, sealed and labelled containers.

Alternate Disposal Sites for Household Hazardous Wastes

Visit makethedrop to find other nearby disposal sites for certain hazardous wastes.

Call2Recycle Battery and Cell Phone Recycling Program

What is it?

Call2Recycle is a program run by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation that provides a service of recycling rechargeable batteries and cell phone batteries. They provide retail stores and offices with boxes in which to collect batteries. Once the bin is filled it gets sent back to the RBRC to be recycled.

What kind of batteries are accepted?

The following battery chemistries will be accepted: nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), Lithium Primary, Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and small sealed lead acid (weighing less than 11 lbs). Most batteries will have the chemistry listed on the label. 

What does the Call2Recycle program not accept?

• Wet cell
• Small sealed lead acid weighing more than 11lbs/5kg each
• Single use alkaline batteries

Which locations in Barrie have a Call2Recycle bin?

Some business locations in Barrie have a Call2Recycle bin, and will accept your batteries and cell phones. Remember to make sure that the battery has a chemistry that is listed above.  Please do not bring in any other kind of battery to these locations as they will not be accepted.

The locations in Barrie that have a Call2Recycle bin are:

• Household Special Waste Depot, 272 Ferndale Drive North, (705) 739-4219 (Saturdays only, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) (this location also accepts non rechargeable batteries as part of another program).

Visit call2recyle.ca to find a drop off location near you.