Schenectady County residents can register to drop off unwanted household chemicals at a free collection scheduled for Nov. 14 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SUNY Schenectady, the County Legislature announced.
The event is the fourth and final household hazardous waste collection scheduled for 2026. Space is limited, and registration is required at schenectadycountyny.gov or by calling (518) 388-4775.
Collection will take place in the college’s back parking lot at 78 Washington Avenue. Participants should use the ramps off State Street to enter; the Washington Avenue entrance will be exit-only.
Accepted materials include leftover or unused household cleaners, paints and paint-related products, lawn and garden chemicals, and automobile fluids other than motor oil. The county asks participants to bring items in their original containers with the original labels when possible.
The collection will not accept used motor oil, light bulbs or fluorescent lamps, batteries, asbestos, explosives or ammunition, smoke detectors, medical waste, grill-sized or larger propane tanks, electronics, or empty aerosol or paint containers. Electronics excluded from collection include televisions, computers and computer accessories.
Only waste from residential households will be accepted. Commercial, industrial, institutional and nonprofit waste is excluded.
The county said its four collections in 2025 took in more than 17,000 gallons of liquids and more than 13,000 pounds of solids, including more than 7,000 gallons of paint.