Go to our Types of Waste and How to Dispose of Them page to find specific types of waste and what can be done with them between HHW events.
The reconstruction of the County’s maintenance shop, at 1709 s Ely Street in Kennewick to convert into a Moderate Risk Waste Facility (MRWF) has been completed. The last major construction project for the facility was an upgraded ventilation system that can appropriately handle the storage of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and was completed in the fall of 2024. After the completion of the ventilation system, Benton County Solid Waste applied for a permit with Ben Franklin Health District to open and operate the facility to the public.
Business hours for the facility are Wednesday through Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Public drop-off of MRW may be suspended during times of normal operation for the preparation and loading of MRW for transportation. Days and hours of operation are determined by the County and may be revised as needed at the discretion of the Public Works Manager.
Proper signage and striping are used to direct traffic flow, efficient unloading of vehicles and for site safety and include the following:
- Pavement directional arrows for proper traffic flow.
- Stop sign at the site exit and at drop-off lanes within the facility grounds.
- Materials accepted signs for customer and staff reference near the MRW unloading areas.
Hazardous waste is anything that (1) might cause harm or damage if handled incorrectly, such as mercury or certain cleaners; or (2) might leach into the water table if put into our landfills, such as liquid fertilizers, some liquid cleaners, antifreeze, and used oil. The waste collection company that picks up your garbage will be able to tell you if they accept specific items. Some waste is too dangerous for Benton County's HHW collection events*. These include, but are not limited to, ammunition, radioactive materials, and asbestos. Such waste will need specialized handling. You should contact a company who is licensed and trained in their handling. As contractors need to be in compliance with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, their websites are good places to start.
*Please note that while smoke detectors containing americium-241 are considered safe to dispose of in regular household waste, Benton County's current HHW program does not accept them. Please click here for more information.
Many of the wastes collected at the collection events have year-round alternatives that can be utilized. It is one of the goals of this webpage to provide you with information about these alternatives. Please check the links to the left and on the main page for alternate disposal options.
If you live in Kennewick or Richland, you can recycle at your home through curbside recycling, provided by your waste collection company (Waste Management and the City of Richland, respectively). If your city does not provide curbside recycling, you should ask your city council to consider it. Until then, you can take your recyclables to one of collection bin sites in your city. They are usually in grocery store parking lots or other large, open spaces. The Recycling tab to the left contains maps or directions to most recycling bins in the cities.
If you live in a city, you pay for garbage service through your water bill/sewer bill. The cities contract with local garbage haulers, guaranteeing that all households within the city limits will be signed up for the service. As part of this contract, the waste collection company provides recycling service (either curbside or stationary bins). County residents, however, contract directly with local waste collection companies for garbage service at their discretion. If they do not contract with a waste collection company, however, they are responsible for hauling their waste to the Richland landfill or a transfer station, or disposing of it in other ways (please note that most burning and burying disposal methods are no longer legally or ecologically acceptable forms of disposal). There is also no viable way for the County to bill for garbage service, as there is no County water or sewer system, so broader range contracts akin to the city ones cannot be implemented. Other disposal methods, which can reduce the amount of garbage produced, are described via the links at the left.
Funding for solid waste is generally provided by two sources: a grant offered by the Washington State Department of Ecology and a tax passed by the local board of county commissioners. Both of these funding sources take into consideration the county in which the program is being implemented. As such, each county runs their own program and their own facilities for the benefit of their residents. If you are a Franklin County resident, please visit the Franklin County Solid Waste webpage.
