Great Falls Public Works’ environmental division is partnering again with Veolia North America to host a household hazardous waste collection event on April 25.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., residents can bring in antifreeze, gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, road flares, shellac, fertilizer, pesticides, furniture polish, insect spray, cleaners, disinfectants, hair remover, nail polish and more for disposal to 112 1st St. S, just south of the Great Falls Police Department.

Latex-based paint or mercury products will not be accepted.

Residents can bring everything from antifreeze, gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, road flares, shellac, fertilizer, furniture polish, insect spray, cleaners, disinfectants, hair remover, nail polish and more.

City, Veolia hosting household hazardous waste collection event [2025]

Latex based paint products will not be accepted.

“The easiest way to dry out latex paint is to mix it with kitty litter or sand and leave the lid off to allow it to completely dry out. Then just replace the lid and bag it and place in your regular garbage container,” according to public works.

For questions about latex-based paint products, contact the environmental division at 406-727-8390.

The event’s goal is to “ensure the safe and compliant management and disposal of household hazardous waste,” according to the city.

The event is only for city residents and materials from commercial businesses or non-city residents will not be accepted.

City, Veolia hosting household hazardous waste collection event [2025]

The event has a limited budget and once those funds are exhausted, waste won’t be accepted, according to the city.

Nathan Besich, environmental division manager for city public works, said that this year’s budget is $50,000, funded by sewer and storm drain funds.

The city pays Veolia for their collection, transport and disposal services.

Besich said the events have always operated on a limited budget and “we work hard to strike the right balance between the number of events we hold and the hours we can remain open.”

In past years, they’ve had to occasionally turn people away near the end of the event when the funding limit was reached.

He said the city wanted participants to be aware that may occur this year since the previous event was “extremely successful,” and collected and disposed of about 500 gallons of flammable liquids, several lead acid batteries, refrigerant cylinders, propane cylinders and more.

City, Veolia hosting hazardous waste collection event [2024]

Disposal costs vary depending on the type and quantity of waste collected, Besich said, and this year’s budget is the same as the previous event, which was in August 2025.

“We are actively evaluating options to ensure these events remain cost‑effective while continuing to provide value to our residents,” Besich said.

The city and Veolia launched the collection event in April 2023 to prevent the materials from being dumped in the city’s wastewater treatment system or local waterbodies, according to the city.

Some of the items collected include:

• 330 gallons of flammable pesticide liquids
• 500 gallons of high BTU blendable liquids
• 16 cubic yards of paint-related material
• 55 gallons of organic and inorganic acids
• 20 units of lithium-ion batteries

City, Veolia collected truck load of hazardous waste at collection event [2023]

Based on the popularity of the first event, they held another that fall, during which they collected:

• 1,500 gallons of flammable liquids
• 2,000 pounds of oil-based household paint
• 120 pounds of corrosive liquids and more