Does it cost money to recycle paint?

Who pays what: the quick view

The PaintCare fee: what you already paid

In California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, a PaintCare fee is added to new house paint, stain and varnish. It runs from $0.30 to $2.75 per can, based on can size and state. Cans of a half pint or less have no fee.

For a 1-gallon can, the fee is between $0.65 (California) and $1.45 (Washington). For a 5-gallon bucket, it's between $1.50 (California) and $2.75 (Washington). Our What is PaintCare guide has the full table.

The fee is not a deposit, so you don't get it back. It pays for the drop-off sites, trucking, recycling and outreach. In most PaintCare states sales tax is charged on the fee too; PaintCare says Oregon and Maine are exceptions.

Because the fee is paid up front, PaintCare drop-off sites don't charge you when you bring paint in.

County and city hazardous waste sites

Outside PaintCare states, and for products PaintCare doesn't take, your county or city hazardous waste program is the usual option. The EPA notes that programs vary a lot. Some run year-round sites, some hold collection days, and some places have no program at all.

Many county sites are free for residents. Others charge in some way. Common setups include:

• Free for residents, with a fee for people from outside the county
• A yearly permit or vehicle pass to use the transfer station, even if paint itself is free
• A per-visit or per-can charge for some items
• A small optional donation
• Free paint, but a fee for other hazardous waste in the same load

Does it cost money to throw paint away?

Drying latex paint for the trash is free if your hauler takes it, apart from the cost of cat litter or a paint hardener. But it isn't allowed everywhere. California, for example, says drying paint to throw it out is not allowed without a hazardous waste permit. Vermont bans paint from landfills. See our state-by-state rules before you choose this.

Hauling dried paint to a transfer station yourself usually means paying the normal garbage gate fee or minimum charge.

What businesses and contractors pay

Any business can drop off water-based paint free at PaintCare sites, and very small businesses can drop off oil-based paint too. PaintCare describes a very small business as one that makes no more than about 25 gallons (100 kilograms) of hazardous waste a month. Illinois doesn't use that limit, and New York has its own rules for larger businesses.

Larger businesses usually pay a hazardous waste company to take oil-based paint, or use a county business program. County business programs often charge by weight. For example, Kitsap County, Washington, lists $0.65 per pound for paint, oil and non-PaintCare latex, and $2.00 per pound for aerosols, for its small-business program (prices since June 1, 2022, subject to change).

Contractors with 100 gallons or more in a PaintCare state should ask about PaintCare's free large-volume pickup first.

What paid paint pickup costs (in general)

If you can't drive, have too much for a store, or don't want to make the trip, you can pay someone to pick it up. Prices vary by company, so we won't guess at numbers. A pickup price usually covers:

• Travel to your home or job site
• Labor to carry and load the cans
• Disposal or recycling fees at the place the paint goes
• Extra handling for oil-based paint, spray cans or thinner, if the company takes them

1. Count your cans by size and type (latex, oil-based, other).
2. Ask what the price includes and whether there's a minimum.
3. Ask what they won't take.
4. Ask where the paint goes and whether it's recycled.
5. Compare that with free options near you before you book.

Ways to keep it free (or cheap)

• Use up good paint as a primer coat, or give it away.
• Take house paint, stain and varnish to a PaintCare store in a PaintCare state.
• Bring products PaintCare doesn't take to a free county collection day.
• Combine trips: drop paint at a store, then other items at the county site.
• Buy only the paint you need next time.