Reduce Harmful Chemicals

Protect your family and Hayward’s shoreline by cutting down on toxic products and disposing of them in the correct manner. 

person holding bucket of cleaning products

Switch out your cleaning products

The Environmental Working Group has conducted extensive research to be able to grade various cleaning products on their likely hazardous impact to health and the environment.

Ready to take the next step and save some money? StopWaste.org provides a list of alternatives to hazardous household products that you can make from simple home ingredients.

Switch out your toiletries and cosmetics

The Environmental Working Group also provides ratings on sunscreen, cosmetics, produce and a wealth of other helpful tips. Take advantage of their research to make your home safer!

Keep microbeads out of our bay! Microbeads are tiny beads of plastic that are added to some cosmetics as exfoliants. Microbeads are small enough to pass through filters in water treatment plants, and they make their way into water systems and contaminate valuable ecosystems like the San Francisco Bay. If you do have products at home that contain microbeads, please dispose of them properly, and never pour them down the drain!

Get toxins out of your garden

When people use pesticides to kill the pests in their yards, they create a toxic environment. Pesticides can be harmful to your family, your pets, and Hayward wildlife.

Did you know that not all bugs are bad? Some are even beneficial to your garden. They help to get rid of the “bad” bugs that eat your plants and cause havoc in your garden. See facts sheets in English and Spanish on how to deal with common garden pests.

If you need to use products in your yard or garden, consider less toxic products like fungicides and herbicides. There are products on the market today that provide safer alternatives. See a list of safer garden products for each pest that was made by Our Water-Our World.

Lady Bugs

Proper Disposal of Hazardous Materials

Storing hazardous chemicals in your home can put your family at risk of exposure. Leftover hazardous waste should never be thrown in the trash or recycling bin, flushed down the toilet, or dumped down the drain or storm sewer.

Safely dispose of old hazardous waste at Hayward Household Hazardous Waste Facility. 

  • 2091 West Winton Avenue
  • Open: Thursday/Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
  • Closed July 4th, Thanksgiving week, Christmas week ,and New Years week

Proper Disposal of Medications

Old medicine is accepted at the Hayward Household Hazardous Waste Facility. You can also bring medications to the following locations in Hayward:

For more information and additional locations, visit the StopWaste website.