Commercial Hazardous Waste

Disposal of hazardous waste from commercial (business) activity is not permitted at the Fauquier County landfill, transfer station, or any remote residential collections site. Disposal of this type of hazardous waste is banned at these facilities by Federal, Commonwealth of Virginia, and Fauquier County regulations and ordinances. Fauquier County Environmental Services is not allowed to accept this category of hazardous waste under any circumstances.

Hazardous waste generated and disposed of by individual households is exempt from a total ban under Federal law, but is still a health and safety hazard for our staff and community. For this reason, Fauquier County ordinance bans its disposal at residential collection sites, and Environmental Services offers a “Household Hazardous Waste” collection program that is free for individual Fauquier County residents, when bringing hazardous waste generated at their personal household only. This program is not available to businesses, or to business owners bringing in hazardous waste generated by clients, even if those clients are County residents.

Businesses who need to dispose of hazardous waste must go through a private hazardous waste disposal company. Below is a partial list of hazardous waste disposal companies who work in Fauquier County:

Clean Harbor Environmental Services: 804-381-2146

Clean Venture Inc.: 410-368-9170

For the full list, please visit our website: www.fauquiercounty.gov/government/departments-a-g/environmental-services/commercial/hazardous-waste-contacts

Free Liquids

Disposal of “free liquids” is also banned at the Fauquier County transfer station, landfill, or any remote residential collection sites by Federal, Commonwealth of Virginia, and Fauquier County regulations and ordinances. Free liquids are defined by Federal and Commonwealth of Virginia regulations as “liquids that readily separate from the solid portion of a waste under ambient temperature and pressure as determined by the Paint Filter Liquids Test, Method 9095, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Publication SW-846.” This can be any liquid that would otherwise be considered non-hazardous, such as latex paint, cooking oil, milk, soda, etc.  This may also include solid trash if liquid runs freely from the waste, which can be common in trash with a large amount of spoiled vegetable matter or frozen foods. Only very small containers of liquids directly disposed of by individual households are exempt, such as a single gallon jug of milk.

Non-hazardous free liquids may be dried, hardened or absorbed in materials like sawdust, dirt, or kitty litter, and if liquid no longer drips from the solids it can be disposed of as regular trash. These options are the most cost effective for non-hazardous free liquids, as it can be expensive to dispose of them through a hazardous waste disposal company.

If commercial customers have trouble reducing or eliminating free liquids from their trash, they may contact the office at 540-422-8840, option 0, and we will do our best to advise them.