Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events

Coral Gables Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Made a Splash  

Through rain and sunshine, the Nov. 14 Household Hazardous Waste event was a huge success! Thank you to the over 600 cars and 1,200 attendees who drove through the event and safely disposed of old electronics, household hazardous waste, and shredding of sensitive documents. As a result of the events over the last four years, the City has diverted over 215,000 pounds of electronic and hazardous waste along with over 41,000 pounds of paper from entering the landfill or potentially the environment. Please stay tuned for the upcoming 2021 HHW Collection event dates in April and November.

Recycle Your Old Electronics and Large Cardboard boxes, Dispose of your Household Hazardous Waste and Shred Your Sensitive Documents

During the City's bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events, please stop by the City Hall Parking Lot at 405 Biltmore Way from 9 am to 12 pm to recycle your old electronics, dispose of household hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly manner, and shred any sensitive documents safely and securely onsite. Any electronic item that has a plug or takes batteries is eligible to be recycled. Coral Gables residents can drop off their household hazardous waste (ex: paint cans, pool chemicals, compact fluorescent light bulbs, cleaners, oils, batteries, and household pesticides). Items such as medical waste, ammunition and tires WILL NOT be accepted at this event. Please note that due to the expected volume, attendees are limited to shredding up to 5 standard sized boxes per vehicle. This is to allow all participants an opportunity to shred their sensitive documents. Residents are also encouraged to bring any large boxes or pieces of cardboard to the event and the City will ensure they get recycled properly. The process is quick and easy. All you have to do is pull up in your vehicle and staff will be on hand to help unload your items. Please be prepared to show proof of Coral Gables residency. As a result of the collection events over the last 4 years, the city has been able to collect over 182,000 pounds of electronic waste and household hazardous waste and shredded over 25,000 pounds of sensitive documents. This event is being organized in partnership with the Coral Gables Sustainability Advisory Board, the City of Coral Gables Police and Public Works Departments. For more information on the event please call 305-460-5008.

Please note: Items will not be accepted before 9 am or after 12 pm the day of the event. 

Just a few reminders for the event: 

• All participants must enter the event through the Coral Way entrance to the City Hall Parking Lot.
• The event will open promptly at 9am and close at 12pm. We will not be able to accept any items before 9am or after 12pm. 
• Please be prepared to show your ID.
• For electronics, anything with a plug or that takes batteries will be accepted.
• Household Hazardous Waste items that will not be accepted include medical waste (you can take any expired or unwanted prescription drugs to our drop-off location on the first floor of the police station located at 2801 Salzedo Street), fire extinguishers, ammunition, tires, etc. Other additional unacceptable items are listed below. 
• For paper shredding, a maximum of 5 standard sized boxes per vehicle will be accepted to ensure all attendees have an opportunity to participate. 
• Attendees are encouraged to bring any large cardboard boxes to the event to be recycled.
• Styrofoam is not being accepted at the HHW Collection Events. Please dispose of styrofoam in your regular household garbage

Common unacceptable materials may include:

1. Biological/Infectious Waste (i.e., sharps)
2. Radioactive Materials
3. Styrofoam
4. Unknowns
5. Tires
6. Appliances
7. Non-Propane Cylinders
8. Fire Extinguishers
9. Smoke Detectors
10. Fireworks/Explosives/Ammunition
11. Reactive Materials Requiring Stabilization
12. DEA Regulated Substances

Do You Have Items that You Need to Dispose in Between the Hazardous Waste Collection Events in April and November?

For household hazardous waste items (unbroken CFL light bulbs, paint cans, pesticides, pool chemicals, etc.) residents are encouraged to take items to the Miami-Dade County Home Chemical Collection Centers at the following addresses:

• West-Dade: 8831 NW 58th Street
• South-Dade: 23707 SW 97th Ave

The hours of operations for both locations are Wednesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm. 

Please note: The City recommends calling before going to ensure the collection centers are open and are currently collecting hazardous waste. The main number to the Miami-Dade Solid Waste Department is 305-514-6666

Coral Gables Diverts Over 182,000 Pounds of Electronic and Household Hazardous Waste from Potentially Entering the Landfill

On Saturday November 16^th, the City of Coral Gables celebrated America Recycles Day by recycling old electronics and safely disposing of household hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly manner.  The event was a huge success with over 500 cars (approximately 1,000 people) that attended. As a result, over 28,000 pounds of material was collected and diverted from the landfill. This included 12,000 pounds of electronic waste, 10,000 pounds of household hazardous waste, and 5,000 pounds of sensitive documents were shredded. Any electronic item that has a plug or takes batteries was recycled. Coral Gables residents were able to drop off their household hazardous waste (ex: paint cans, pool chemicals, compact fluorescent light bulbs, cleaners, oils, batteries, and household pesticides). Residents were also encouraged to bring any large boxes or pieces of cardboard to the event and the City ensured they got recycled properly. As a result of the collection events over the last 3 years, the city has been able to divert over 182,000 pounds of electronic waste and household hazardous waste from potential entering the landfill. The City has also been able to shredded over 25,000 pounds of sensitive documents. These household hazardous waste collection events are organized in partnership with the Coral Gables Sustainability Advisory Board, the City of Coral Gables Police and Public Works Departments and Clean Harbors. For more information on the event or other City sustainability efforts please call 305-460-5008.

In addition to the community electronic recycling events, the City's IT Department has recycled over 16,000 pounds of electronic waste since 2016

For more information on upcoming events or to read about the City’s sustainability efforts, please visit www.coralgables.com/sustainability or call 305-460-5008.