Keeping green while disposing of today’s trash requires knowing the new rules for discards. Discards that contain metals and industrial chemicals should not be casually thrown away. In fact, under current California law, some household items are now illegal to discard without special precautions. Permanent household and e-waste collection locations Permanent hazardous and e-waste collection centers can help residents safely dispose of household hazardous waste and e-waste. The entire drop-off process only takes a few minutes. Often, participants don't even have to leave their car. The City of Los Angeles operates six permanent HHW collection Centers which are available to all Los Angeles County residents. Be sure to check their website for specifics about what is collected and times. More... Click for R3 Recycling Network So, how do you get rid of light bulbs, batteries, chemicals, medicines and e-waste and other discards that need special care in disposal? With a little advance planning, you'll find that it's simple to dispose of trash that’s special. There's even a solution for greenwaste! Here are some Green Living suggestions . . . Batteries. Recycling rechargeable batteries is fairly easy. Home Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, Best Buy, and other retailers take them back free of charge. There are fewer options for single-use batteries, but look for bins at your local Whole Foods Market, IKEA, or a county-sponsored household hazardous waste drop-off site. Lakewood City Hall also accepts household batteries, but only from Lakewood residents. Where are your closest drop-off options? Search here for answers. CFLs. These energy-efficient bulbs are becoming easier to get rid of. Just drop old bulbs off at any Home Depot or IKEA for free recycling. Or ask about CFL recycling at your local Ace Hardware or other home improvement store. Electronics. Every retailer that takes back rechargeable batteries also accepts mobile phones, as do most wireless providers. For computers, cameras, televisions, and others it's worthwhile do a little homework because some stores charge fees depending on item and brand. Check out Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot to see what the best fit is. Some places, like Radio Shack, have trade-in programs where you can receive store credit for your old gadgets. County-sponsored household hazardous waste collection events are held frequently where you can dispose of ewaste for free. Motor Oil. Used oil recycling kits are available at Lakewood City Hall. Every gallon of used motor oil that's improperly disposed of can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water. Bring it to Autozone, Jiffy Lube, or search online for more convenient choices. Lakewood City Hall offers free used oil collection kits to make the job of transporting your used oil easekand spill free. Paint. It's among the harder items in this group to dispose of, but it's worth it and totally doable. If the paint is still in good shape, consider donating it. As of now, there aren't any retailers that accept used paint so you'll need to make a special trip. 'No drugs down the drain' site shows how It  was once a common practice to flush unused, unwanted, and expired medications down the toilet. Doctors or pharmacist may have even directed it. Today we know these substances are bad for our environment--just like used oil and paint. There are special marked mailboxes in front of the Lakewood Sheriff's Station where residents can drop off medications. Click for more information The California Integrated Waste Management Board has a page specifically on this topic. The "No Drugs down the Drain" website provides solutions on how to correctly keep medications out of the environment. Beginning to think about them they same way we do household chemicals is a good first step. Disposing of them properly is the next step. Taking them to the a  Los Angeles County Household Hazordous Waste Roundup is a good solution. Check out the No Drugs down the Drain site for addtional information. Pick up “sharps” waste containers at city hall Lakewood is working to make it easier for residents to keep their “sharps” out of normal trash and recycling bins by offering free, state-approved sharps containers at city hall. Like used oil recycling kits that are also available at the civic center, sharps must also be taken to designated disposal stations. Click for more at Lakewood Online about sharps. There are special marked mailboxes in front of the Lakewood Sheriff's Station where residents can drop off sharps. Click for more information Typically “sharps” are hypodermic needles, intravenous needles, lancets used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications--often for insulin. Please refer to the sharps waste program website for additional information and a complete listing of designated distribution and collection sites throughout the county. Keeping these biohazards away from neighbors and the environment is state law. To that end, Lakewood is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Sharps Waste Collection Program to offer residents a safe and convenient way to properly collect their sharps and the location of approved disposal locations. Distribution and collection sites listing There are special marked mailboxes in front of the Lakewood Sheriff's Station where residents can drop off sharps. Click for more information Bulky item pick: 'Dial-A-Dump' program continues Lakewood’s bulky item pick up program makes convenient pick ups of bulky household items, it also strongly encourages reuse of many of these same items. Many of these same items can have a second life as a beneficial donation. Reuse instead of refuse: List of organizations that accept household goods For the convenience of Lakewood residents, the city’s trash collection contractor has an additional service for large item pick up. This free service is designed to help residents dispose of certain types of bulky or awkward household items, such as old mattresses, water heaters, sofas, and chairs. Bulky item pickup: 'Dial-A-Dump' program continues Get even greener! For recycling opportunities in Lakewood, including the location of specialized collection centers, call the city’s R3 coordinator at 866-9771, extension 2500.