How to dispose of fire extinguishers
Start with your city: most cities take fire extinguishers through hazardous waste and drop-off sites. Choose your city below to jump to its rules, or read the options that apply anywhere.
Your city’s rules for fire extinguishers
| Hazardous? | Sometimes. Pressurized; not-empty units are hazardous and must not go in trash; fully discharged units can be scrapped. (portal.ct.gov) |
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Ways to get rid of fire extinguishers
Household hazardous waste drop-off
HHW events for charged units. (smcfire.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
Scrap metal recycler
Scrap metal once completely empty. (smcfire.ca.gov, checked October 30, 2026)
Rules to know
- Units with contents: take to HHW event (San Mateo Consolidated Fire Dept., CA). (smcfire.ca.gov)
- Empty units: fully discharge, remove head, recycle as ferrous scrap. (smcfire.ca.gov)
- Some towns accept at transfer station or fire department; others at HHW events (CT DEEP). (portal.ct.gov)
Cautions
- Not empty = hazardous. “WARNING: Fire extinguishers that are not completely empty are considered hazardous material and should never be thrown in the trash.” (smcfire.ca.gov)
Related guides
All disposal guidesChecked October 30, 2026 against federal, state and program pages. Local rules come first: your city’s page shows its own pickup and drop-off rules.