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Hazardous Waste Warning

Wastes in this section are dangerous to you and the environment. Handle them carefully and dispose of them properly. Legally, households may not transport more than 15 gallons of wet or 125 pounds of dry hazardous materials. Read about the regulation.

Treated Wood

Treated wood, commonly used in fence posts, decking, and landscaping projects, contains chemicals to protect the wood from insects and fungal decay. Among these chemicals are arsenic, chromium, copper, and creosote. While they do a great job preserving the wood, the chemicals are anything but great if they end up in our environment. The facilities listed below will properly manage your treated wood waste (TWW).

TWW can be taken to all of the  locations listed at the bottom of this page. No variance or permit is required for disposal. 

Please keep any TWW separated from other materials when you bring it for disposal. If other materials are combined with TWW, you will need to pay the TWW fee for the entire load.

Click here to see a guidance document for TWW generators. Large generators have their own fact sheet, available here.

Click here for more information on treated wood from the Department of Toxic Substances Control. This webpage gives useful tips on how to handle TWW at home and for your business. TWW industry leaders also host www.TWWDisposal.org.

That was a lot of info! Call us at (805) 882-3603 if you have more questions.

A note on TWW legislative updates:

2021 was a big year for TWW. Prior to January 1, 2021, TWW was a hazardous waste that had a special set of disposal standards called the Alternative Management Standards (AMS). These standards recognized that TWW was hazardous, but when contained properly in a landfill there was very little environmental impact, if any at all. AMS rules allowed local landfills to accept TWW and avoid the costs and risks of over handling and transporting the material.

Unfortunately the AMS were buried in a separate bill, SB 68. SB 68 was vetoed in late 2020 for other reasons, meaning that starting January 1, 2021 TWW needed to be handled as a hazardous waste with no special treatment, and only one landfill in California accepted the material.The Department Substances Control quickly created a variance program for local disposal facilities, but obtaining this permit was very costly to generators, handlers, and disposal facilities.

AB 332 was written in early 2021 to bring the AMS back. The County of Santa Barbara and other local jurisdictions authored advocacy letters to support AB 332.  Thankfully, AB 332 passed on August 31, 2021 which reinstated the Alternative Management Standards. AB 332 provided a huge relief to contractors, waste haulers, residents, and local governments.

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