If your idea of household cleanup is tossing spent cans of paint or an old cell phone into the trash with the half-eaten containers from last week's Chinese takeout, it's time for you to rethink your habits, especially if you're planning a remodel next spring or summer.

Most municipalities discourage or ban the disposal of household hazardous waste--anything that's corrosive, ignitable, reactive, or toxic--as regular trash. Many cities and counties have created permanent collection/drop-off centers where you can dispose of items like half-used cans of paint, spent batteries, and old appliances. And some have instituted collection days throughout the year when their recycling centers (aka the dump) will accept things like computers and other electronic gear, oil or gasoline from a lawn mower, for example, and pesticides.

You can find out details on the facilities and programs by contacting the solid-waste, environmental-protection, or public-works agency in your town or county. If you're not sure where to get contact information for those agencies, do some research on the Web site of the department of environmental protection in your state. A quick tour of the New Jersey DEP, for example, provided a county-by-county rundown of materials that are recyclable, a list of the counties' recycling-program Web sites, and a locator for town and county recycling coordinators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains a list of the environmental agencies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Also check with the organizations and companies listed below, which reclaim, reuse, and recycle household products, appliances, and construction debris. Some offer tax deductions for donations of materials in good condition or even cash rebates--a different kind of "green" incentive. And the Earth911 Web site will help you find an appropriate waste disposer by material and ZIP code for materials not listed here. (For information on how to protect yourself from common household contaminants during a project at your home, read "Renovation hazards: Keeping safe" in the March 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale in early February.)

For more detailed advice on dealing with electronic devices, be sure to visit the Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center on GreenerChoices.org. You'll find expert tips on getting the most out of your current equipment, links to databases that will help you properly dispose of your gear (a CRT computer monitor contains four to six pounds of lead, for instance), information on manufacturer-run recycling programs, and much more.

If you need to dispose of...	Contact	Details
Batteries (rechargeable)	Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. www.rbrc.org 877-273-2925	The RBRC can point you to one of 30,000-plus collection sites, including RadioShack stores, that take in depleted rechargeable batteries, including nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride, lithium-ion, and small, sealed lead types. The RBRC recycles useful metals and properly disposes of toxic ones.
Building materials	Habitat ReStores www.habitat.org 800-422-4828	This Habitat for Humanity program accepts and resells new and used nonhazardous construction materials, including lumber, lighting, and architectural salvage (things like doors, windows, and bathroom fixtures in good condition). Sales help fund the building of Habitat homes. There are more than 550 locations in the U.S. and Canada, some of which offer free pick-up. Donations are tax-deductible.
Construction debris	Construction Waste Management Database www.wbdg.org/tools/cwm.php	This online database, sponsored by the U.S. government’s General Services Administration, will direct you to recyclers within or near your ZIP code who will haul away carpeting, ceiling tiles, flooring and all manner of debris created during a project.
Electronics, furniture, and housewares	Goodwill Industries International www.goodwill.org 800-664-6577	The proceeds from the items you donate to Goodwill’s retail stores fund job programs for the disabled and disadvantaged. Search for drop-off locations online by ZIP code; some stores offer free pick-up. Donations are tax-deductible.
	The Salvation Army www.satruck.org 800-728-7825	The proceeds from the items you donate to the Salvation Army’s thrift stores fund addiction-recovery programs for adults. You can search for drop-off locations online by ZIP code; most offer free pick-up within a limited range. Donations are tax-deductible.
Fluorescent light bulbs	LampRecycle www.lamprecycle.org	The LampRecycle Web site features a state-by-state list of disposal regulations and recyclers for fluorescent lamps, which contain small amounts of mercury, a potentially toxic heavy metal. Ikea stores will accept and dispose of your spent fluorescent bulbs.
Large appliances	Appliance Recycling Centers of America www.arcainc.com 952-930-1700	ARCA provides free pick-up of “white goods” you want to dispose of. It reclaims the steel, mercury, PCBs, and ozone-depleting refrigerants from those appliances--primarily refrigerators and freezers--and also coordinates with local utilities to provide you with per-item rebates of up to $50. Service is available in parts of California, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin; contact ARCA for updates on where the service is offered.
	JACO Environmental www.jacoinc.net 800-414-5072	JACO works with local utilities to collect and decommission refrigerators and freezers; it can also help you get a $30 to $40 per-item rebate from your utility. JACO also picks up all white goods curbside for a fee ($20 and up) that’s based on time and distance. Both programs are offered in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Plastic packing materials	Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers www.epspackaging.org 410-451-8340	On the alliance’s Web site you’ll find information on recycling the rigid pieces of expanded polystyrene that swaddle appliances, computers, and other gear inside their transport boxes.
	Plastic Loose Fill Council www.loosefillpackaging.com 800-828-2214	Use the site’s Peanut Hotline to locate a nearby drop-off spot for loose-fill packing material. You can bring loose fill to most Mail Boxes Etc. and The UPS Store locations.