Where to dispose of paint (and paint recycling near you)

The kinds of places that take paint

Not every place takes every kind of paint. Match what you have to the right place before you load the car.

Paint stores and other PaintCare drop-off sites

In California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and D.C., PaintCare runs free paint recycling. A fee is built into the price of new paint, so there is no charge when you drop it off.

Most PaintCare sites are paint and hardware stores. Some are county hazardous waste sites or transfer stations. Every site takes at least 5 gallons per visit, and some take more.

Sites take house paint, primer, stain, sealer and clear coats like varnish and shellac, in the original labeled can with a tight lid. They do not take spray cans, thinners, or containers that are leaking, unlabeled or empty.

Store participation is store by store. One store in a chain may take paint while another across town doesn’t. Use PaintCare’s locator, not a chain’s name, and call the store before you go.

Household hazardous waste sites and events

Your city or county may run a permanent hazardous waste site, collection events on set dates, or both. These are the right place for spray paint, paint thinner, mineral spirits, unlabeled cans and other chemicals.

Rules vary a lot. Many sites are for residents only and ask for proof of address. Hennepin County, MN, for example, takes paint for free from county households, up to three 5-gallon pails a year. King County, WA, sets a 50-gallon limit per trip and won’t take containers bigger than 5 gallons. King County’s hazardous waste sites don’t take latex paint at all and send it to PaintCare or the trash.

Businesses are often turned away. Hennepin County’s sites don’t take business hazardous waste. Ask before you go if your paint came from a rental, a home business or a job site.

In states without PaintCare, the county hazardous waste program is usually the main place to take oil-based paint.

Notes for PaintCare states

• California: no paint goes in the trash, not even dried latex.
• Colorado: PaintCare offers free door-to-door pickup for homes with 10 gallons or more in El Paso, Teller, Arapahoe, Adams, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties.
• Connecticut: town hazardous waste days take oil-based paint. Only some take latex, so check first. Some transfer stations are PaintCare sites.
• Illinois: free PaintCare drop-off started in December 2025. PaintCare sites don’t take spray paint, so take spray cans to a hazardous waste site or event.
• Maryland: free PaintCare drop-off started in April 2026, with more than 100 sites.
• Vermont: liquid latex paint should not go in the trash. Ask your solid waste district whether hardened latex can.
• Maine, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and D.C.: PaintCare sites take house paint for free. Local hazardous waste rules differ, so check your city guide.

How to find your closest drop-off

1. Search PaintCare’s drop-off locator by ZIP code. Blue flags are PaintCare sites. Gray flags show other options in states without PaintCare.
2. Check your city or county waste website for hazardous waste sites, events and any paint rules.
3. Open our city guide if you live in one of the 125 cities we cover. Each guide lists local drop-off sites, what they take, who can use them and local rules, checked against official sources.
4. No luck? EPA suggests searching Earth911 by ZIP code or calling your local solid waste or health agency.
5. Call the site. Confirm it is open for paint that day, that it takes your kinds of paint, and how much you can bring.

What to bring

• Paint in its original can, with the label readable and the lid hammered shut.
• A quick list of what you have and the can sizes.
• Proof that you live there, if it’s a county site.
• Spray cans, thinners and unlabeled cans packed in a separate box, if you’re going to a hazardous waste site.
• A sturdy box or bin so cans ride upright in your trunk.

Limits to ask about

Ask three questions: the biggest container they take, the most per visit, and any limit per year. Many sites count by can size, so a half-full gallon counts as a gallon.

If you have more than one site’s limit, split the load across visits or sites. With 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free large volume pickup instead.

What if there’s no drop-off near you?

• Look for a collection event. Many counties hold them once or twice a year.
• Try a nearby county, but ask first if non-residents can use it.
• Dry out latex paint and put it in the trash, if your state and town allow it. Not in California.
• Hold oil-based paint, spray cans and thinner until the next event. Store them in a cool, dry place away from heat and flames.
• If you have a lot of paint, no car or no time, a pickup service may be easier. Check for free door-to-door pickup first.

What happens to paint after you drop it off

PaintCare says about 80% of the paint it collects is latex. Most of that is made into recycled paint or used in other products. Oil-based paint is mostly burned as fuel.

Paint that can’t be used may end up in a landfill. If it matters to you where your paint goes, ask the site or program.

If the site says no

Don’t leave cans at the gate or outside a closed store. Ask the staff where they would send that product. Then take it home and try the right place.

Common reasons for a no: spray cans or thinners at a paint store, a missing label, a leaking can, too much paint for one visit, or not living in the county.