There is no Household Hazardous Waste drop-off event currently scheduled for Maple Ridge, but residents can sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay updated on future programs & events.
Household hazardous waste (HHW) is defined as leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, flammable, or reactive compounds. Municipal sewage systems and private septic systems do not filter or remove these compounds and burying them can lead to groundwater contamination. From time to time, the City of Maple Ridge provides funding to Ridge Meadows Recycling Society to organize Household Hazardous Waste drop-off days.
Items accepted for drop-off at the events include oven & toilet cleaners, bleach, brake fluid, concentrated acids, herbicides, liquid car wax, lye, swimming pool chemicals, mothballs, rust removers, wood preservatives, nail polish remover, furniture polish, darkroom chemicals, rubber or plastic cement, roofing tar, charcoal briquettes, perm/hair dye solutions, adhesives, resins, caulking, and more. The materials need to be in a leak-proof container or bag and ideally have a clear, readable identifying label, however they will be accepted without one. Prohibited materials at the events include explosives (ammunition, fireworks, road & marine flares), radioactives, biohazardous materials, and sharps (needles).
Many items are already accepted daily for free drop-off at the Maple Ridge Recycling Depot (located at 10092 – 236th Street, including paint, electronics, light bulbs, batteries, appliances, motor oil, antifreeze, clothing & textiles, scrap metal, & Styrofoam.
PREVIOUS HHW DROP-OFF EVENTS
On September 27, 2025, Clean Harbors, a specialized waste management company, was on site to sort, test, and safely dispose of any materials residents brought in. Bringing these items to the drop-off event ensured they were safely disposed of and will not end up contaminating the groundwater or cause other environmental problems.
On September 19, 2020 and September 18, 2021, the City of Maple Ridge, working with Ridge Meadows Recycling Society and Terrapure, hosted household hazardous waste drop-off days for residents.
Here are the results from the 2020 & 2021 drop-off days:
Maple Ridge 2020 HHW Report from Terrapure
Maple Ridge 2021 HHW Report from Terrapure
We look forward to these items being collected as part of an Extended Producer Responsibility program in the future.
Your Partners in Building a Cleaner Community.
Have you ever looked under your kitchen sink or in the back of your garage and wondered what to do with those old cleaners, chemicals, or leftover fluids? These items are what we call Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).
Because they contain corrosive, toxic, or flammable ingredients, they require special care. If these items are poured down the drain or buried in the backyard, they can bypass our sewage systems and contaminate our precious groundwater. To help you “Recycle it Right,” Ridge Meadows Recycling Society partners with the City of Maple Ridge to host special drop-off events.
Upcoming Events
There are currently no Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events scheduled. Want to be the first to know? These events are funded by the City of Maple Ridge from time to time. The best way to stay in the loop is to sign up for our monthly newsletter so you never miss a future date!
What We Accept at These Events
When a drop-off day is scheduled, you can bring a wide range of tricky items that aren’t accepted in your regular recycling. These include:
- Kitchen & Bathroom: Oven cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, bleach, lye, and nail polish remover.
- Garage & Garden: Brake fluid, concentrated acids, herbicides, wood preservatives, and roofing tar.
- Hobbies & Home: Swimming pool chemicals, darkroom chemicals, adhesives, resins, and furniture polish.
- And more: Mothballs, charcoal briquettes, and even hair dye solutions.
A quick tip for a safe trip: Please ensure all materials are in a leak-proof container or bag. If the original label is still on the bottle, that’s a huge help for our team!
What We Cannot Accept
For the safety of our staff and the community, we cannot accept:
- Explosives (ammunition, fireworks, flares)
- Radioactive or biohazardous materials
- Sharps (needles)
Items You Can Drop Off Any Day!
You don’t have to wait for a special event to recycle many common household items. You can bring the following items to the Maple Ridge Recycling Depot located at 10092 – 236th Street, Maple Ridge for free, year-round:
- Paint
- Electronics
- Light Bulbs & Batteries
- Appliances & Scrap Metal
- Cooking Oil
- Motor Oil & Antifreeze
- Clothing, Textiles & Styrofoam
Success Stories: Our Local Impact
We are proud of the progress we’ve made together. In recent years, our HHW events have diverted thousands of kilograms of hazardous materials away from our environment.
- September 2025: We partnered with Clean Harbors to sort and safely dispose of hundreds of items brought in by local residents.
- 2020 & 2021: Working with Terrapure, these events showed just how much our community cares about groundwater protection. You can view the full impact reports here and here.
Questions about a specific hazardous item? Give us a call at 604-463-5545. We’re here to help you keep your home and our community safe.