Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Mesa.
2412 N. Center St., Bldg. 2, Mesa, AZ 85201
The phone is voicemail only; calls are returned within 48 hours. Email hhm.info@mesaaz.gov. Pack items in boxes or totes (no bags), stay in your car with the engine off, and let staff unload. No drop-offs after hours.
Your state doesn’t have a PaintCare program, so stores here don’t take paint for free. These are the public drop-off programs PaintCare’s map lists, closest first. Most only serve their own residents and some charge a fee. Call before you go.
2412 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201
2224 E Queen Creek Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85297
575 E Baseline, Apache Junction, AZ 85119
955 E Queen Creek Rd, Chandler, AZ 85286
1320 E University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
The daily limit is 20 gallons. Dry and trash any latex you can, and bring the rest over two days, one visit a day. Staff can refuse loads bigger than a normal household's.
If you don't pay Mesa's Green & Clean fee, as in some county islands, you can't use the facility. Dry and trash your latex. For oil-based paint, ask your hauler or the county.
Check the Swap Shop during open hours. Remixed exterior paint is free for Mesa residents, first come, first served, and color isn't guaranteed.
Arizona's environment agency says summer heat can push fumes out of paint cans. Keep lids tight, store cans somewhere cool, and plan an early-morning drop-off.
For latex paint, take the lid off, let it dry completely, put the lid back on and put the can in your black trash barrel. For oil-based paint, stain, thinner or a lot of liquid latex, drive to 2412 N. Center St., Bldg. 2, Wednesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with proof you live in Mesa. The limit is 20 gallons a day, no container over 5 gallons, and no appointment is needed.
Mesa runs its own drive-through hazardous materials site on North Center Street. It's free for residents who pay the Green & Clean fee. You can dry out latex paint and put it in your black barrel.
Mesa says water-based latex paint can go in your black trash barrel once it's completely dry. Take the lid off, let it harden, put the lid back on and toss it. Oil-based paint, stain and thinner go to the HHM facility.
Only residents who pay Mesa's Green & Clean fee can use the facility. If you live in a Maricopa County island with a Mesa address but no Mesa trash service, you'll be turned away.
Good leftover paint is filtered, mixed into new colors and given free to Mesa residents at the Swap Shop inside the facility. It's for non-commercial exterior use only, like a fence or wall. You sign a release, there's a 10-item limit, and paint can't be held or delivered.
The HHM phone (480-644-4463) is voicemail, with replies within 48 hours. For a same-week trip, email hhm.info@mesaaz.gov or just go during open hours.
Dry latex goes in your black barrel. Arizona has no PaintCare program, so paint stores don't take leftover paint back. Business paint isn't taken at the facility; Mesa tells businesses to use a qualified environmental disposal contractor.
Seal lids, keep paint in original labeled cans, and pack them in boxes or plastic totes (no bags). Mark the box "HHM" and keep it apart from anything you're not dropping off. Bring your license or a Mesa utility bill with matching photo ID.
Full preparation checklist →No. Drive up Wednesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
20 gallons a day of paint and craft supplies combined, no container over 5 gallons, one visit per day.
Yes, once it's completely dry. Put the dried can in your black trash barrel with the lid on.
Sometimes. The Swap Shop gives remixed paint to Mesa residents for exterior, non-commercial use. Supply changes daily.
No. Mesa lists Thanksgiving and November 27, 2026 as closures, plus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day 2027.
Checked October 7, 2026: Mesa's Household Hazardous Materials page (who can use it, paint limits, dry latex in the black barrel, Swap Shop paint rules, 2026 holiday closures), ADEQ pages and PaintCare's state list. PaintCare's locator lists a different phone (480-644-2221) and says to enter via Lehi Rd.; we used the city's voicemail number and didn't confirm the entrance. Not settled: whether staff will take dried paint, and how often Swap Shop paint is in stock.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}