Clear the Garage Before November 7: Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Returns

Saturday, November 7, is the day to clear out the corner of the garage that has been waiting all year. The household hazardous waste drop-off runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brookfield High School, 45 Long Meadow Hill Road.

The drop-off is run by the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority and is open to Housatonic region residents. The setup is drive-through: bring items in your vehicle and stay in the vehicle while staff handle them. No smoking on site.

That drive-through format is worth planning around. Sort items before you leave home, keep them in the trunk or truck bed where staff can reach them, and expect a line during the morning peak. The drop-off is a single-day event, so items that miss November 7 wait for the next regional collection.

Household hazardous waste covers the products that should never go in regular trash: old paint, solvents, cleaners, pesticides, and similar materials that are flammable, corrosive, or toxic. A garage cleanout before winter is the natural moment for it, since cold weather makes a half-finished sort easy to abandon until spring.

The drop-off sits two weeks out, which leaves time to do the job properly: walk the garage, the basement, and the shed; check labels; and set aside anything that has leaked, rusted, or lost its label. Anything you are unsure about can be brought along and asked about on site, rather than guessed into the trash.