Household hazardous waste

Municipalities sometimes sponsor collection days several times a year; call yours. The site at www.earth911.com can direct you to sites in your area.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs

Tossing CFLs in the trash isn't a bright idea; the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. Some areas require recycling, so check with your sanitation department and ask about collection programs. You can also drop off used CFLs for recycling at Home Depot, Ikea, Lowe's, and some Ace Hardware stores, or go to www.earth911.com to find a local program.

Household batteries

It's important that you recycle rechargeable batteries, whether from a mobile phone, power drill, or any gadget, since their heavy metals are hazardous. The nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.'s Call2Recycle.org program lists some 30,000 collection sites in the U.S. and Canada that take these batteries. Some sites also accept single-use alkalines and button-cell batteries. Check at www.earth911.com for drop-offs in your area.

Paint

Paints made before 1978 might contain lead, and those made before 1991 might have mercury. If your paint doesn't contain either, ask local charities, religious organizations, or high school or college drama departments whether they can use it, or see whether your community collects paint for reuse. If there are no takers, call your municipal recycling center or household-hazardous-waste center, or find a recycler at www.earth911.com. Your municipality can also tell you about local requirements for proper disposal (such as taking the lid off latex paint and letting it dry before disposing of the can). Oil-based paints should be disposed of at a household-hazardous-waste collection facility.