In response to high demand, the Department of Public Works is investing more money into its household hazardous waste program.
Known as ToxDrop drop-off events, residents can dispose of unwanted and unused household hazardous waste and electronics on select Saturdays throughout the city.
“We’ve heard consistently, loudly and clearly, that the current schedule of ToxDrop days is insufficient,” said Sam Beres, chief financial officer for DPW, during a recent budget hearing for the department, “and so we made getting additional funding in this budget for the ToxDrop program a priority.”
The proposed 2026 budget includes an additional $300,000 in ongoing funding for staffing and disposal costs related to the ToxDrop program, enough for an additional 12 events per year, Beres said.
Part of that funding will also be used to develop a new disposal site on the east side to replace the one that went offline last year, Beres said, at a location to be determined.
Improper disposal of hazardous waste — pouring it down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers or in the regular trash — can create significant environmental and public health hazards.
Get the backstory
When to go
ToxDrop events occur on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Traders Point Collection Facility, 7550 N. Lafayette Road.
For southsiders, ToxDrop events are held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Perry Township Government Center, 4925 S. Shelby St.
Both drop-off sites are closed on the third, fourth and fifth Saturdays of the month and on all major holidays.
Leaving waste at a site when it is closed is considered illegal dumping and can result in fines up to $2,500.
Additional events will be announced following the passage of the 2026 budget.
What to throw away
Acceptable household hazardous waste includes the following items:
- AA and AAA batteries
- Adhesives
- Aerosol cans
- Air fresheners
- Ammonia
- Bathroom cleaners
- Brake fluid
- Carpet cleaners
- Chlorine bleach
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Detergents
- Electronics (list below)
- Fertilizer
- Fire extinguishers
- Floor wax
- Fluorescent light tubes
- Furniture polish
- Gasoline
- Glue
- Herbicides
- Insecticides
- Lead acid batteries
- LED bulbs
- Lighter fluid
- Elemental mercury
- Moth crystals
- Nail polish & nail polish remover
- Oven cleaner
- Paint
- Paint stripper
- Paint thinner
- Pesticides
- Pool chemicals
- Propane tanks (less than 20 lbs.)
- Rock salt
- Stain removers
- Thermostats
- Thermometers
- Used cooking oil
- Used motor oil
- Wood stains
- Wood varnishes
Acceptable electronic waste includes the following items:
- Camcorders/cameras
- Circuit boards
- Computers (desktops and laptops)
- Digital photo frames
- Digital media players
- DVD players
- DVR/TiVo devices (including cable boxes and satellite boxes)
- E-readers
- External disk drives
- External tape drive
- Fax machines
- Gaming systems and accessories
- GPS navigation systems
- Hard drives
- iPods/MP3 players
- Joysticks
- Keyboards
- Laptops
- Mice
- Microphones
- Modems
- Monitors
- PC cards
- PC speakers
- Printers
- Scanners
- Televisions (including flat screen) 27 inches or less
- Uninterrupted power supply batteries
- USB drives
- VHS players
For more information, visit the city’s ToxDrop website.
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Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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