• Household cleaning without chemicals
• How to build a 'Green Cleaning Kit' toolbox
• Safer Alternatives for lawn & garden (pdf file)
• Safer Alternatives for workshop & garage (pdf file)
• Dozens of other Safer Alternatives publications

Latex paint
is water based and generally not hazardous. Landfills and garbage haulers cannot accept latex paint in liquid form; it must be hardened. Place latex paint in the garbage after the liquid has hardened, and leave the lid off.

If you have a little paint left in the can, you can speed the drying process by mixing in an absorbent, such as concrete or cement mix, kitty litter, or thinly cut strips of newspaper.

If the paint can is too full to add an absorbent, line a cardboard box with a plastic bag, pour in paint and mix with an absorbent.

Oil-based paint
must be disposed of at either of the Hazardous Waste Facilities (Tacoma or Hidden Valley).

• Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt) batteries can be disposed of in the trash.
• Rechargeable batteries and button batteries (commonly found in watches, cameras, calculators, cell phones, camcorders, etc.) contain heavy metals and are hazardous. Take to the either hazardous waste facility (Tacoma or Hidden Valley) or any of the businesses listed in Pierce County's Recycling & Disposal Resource Guide

• Call the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department's Hazardous Waste Hotline at 1-800-287-6429.
• View the City of Tacoma's website for more information about the Tacoma Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
• View the Hidden Valley Transfer Station's website at www.lrilandfill.com