Drop it off free
5 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.3 mi
- Dunn-EdwardsPaint store0.9 mi
- Vista PaintPaint store1.1 mi
Merced, CA Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Merced.
NOW AVAILABLE IN MERCED
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Merced8
Start with these
Highway 59 Landfill (Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority)
7040 North Highway 59, Merced, CA 95348
- Accepts
- Liquid latex and non-latex (oil-based) paint, any day the landfill is open. Spray paint, thinner and solvents are taken only at household hazardous waste collection events.
- Who can use it
- Merced County residents. The RWA's pages disagree on businesses: the HHW page says the everyday drop-off is not for businesses, and the free-at-the-landfill page says paint may not be taken from businesses, yet the same HHW page lists a 27-gallon business paint limit. PaintCare lists the site for households only. Businesses should call first or use a private company.
- Hours
- Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Load limits
- Containers 5 gallons or smaller, judged by the label size, not how much is left inside. Households: 15 gallons. The paint line on the HHW page also gives a 27-gallon limit for small businesses, but see who can use it below.
- Fees
- Free for Merced County residents.
The RWA's number is 209-723-4481, ext. 210. If you only have paint, park in a diagonal spot in front of the scale house and tell the attendant what you have. If you also have trash to weigh, pull onto the scale and mention the paint. Dried latex can go in the landfill as trash.
Billy Wright Landfill (Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority)
17173 South Billy Wright Road, Los Banos, CA 95365
- Accepts
- Liquid latex and oil-based paint every open day. Spray paint, thinner and solvents wait for an HHW event.
- Who can use it
- Merced County residents. The RWA says the everyday drop-off is not for businesses, and PaintCare lists the site for households only; businesses should call first.
- Hours
- Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and the same holidays as Highway 59.
- Load limits
- Containers 5 gallons or smaller; 15 gallons per household.
- Fees
- Free for Merced County residents.
If you only have paint, pull to the side of the inbound scale next to the scale house and park, then tell the clerk what you have.
ACTenviro Merced Transfer Station (PaintCare drop-off)
265 Riggs Avenue, Merced, CA 95341
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons. PaintCare says it also takes empty containers.
- Who can use it
- Households and very small businesses, per PaintCare's listing.
- Hours
- PaintCare lists Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Load limits
- 200 gallons per visit, per PaintCare's map.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No aerosols and no unlabeled or leaking containers. ACTenviro is also one of the two companies the RWA names for business hazardous waste. Call before a large delivery.
5 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Merced.
4 paint stores and 1 hazardous waste site, closest first. Paint stores take house paint, stain and varnish, usually up to a set amount per visit. Hazardous waste sites also take chemicals like thinner, but some only serve local residents. Call before you go.
Rules most stores here share
Who: Households and Businesses in California
Hours: Paint is accepted during regular business hours. Call ahead for hours and to make sure the store can accept the amount and type of paint you would like to recycle.
Products: This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking or empty.
Each listing below shows only what’s different, plus its limit.
Sherwin-Williams
0.3 mi2160 G St, Merced, CA 95340
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
0.9 mi1414 R St, Merced, CA 95340
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Vista Paint
1.1 mi1637 V St, Merced, CA 95340
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
ACTenviro Merced Transfer Station
2.3 mi265 Riggs Ave, Merced, CA 95341
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in California
- Hours
- Monday - Friday 8 am - 1 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 200 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking. This site will accept empty containers.
Highway 59 HHW Facility
6.3 mi7040 N Highway 59, Merced, CA 95348
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Merced County
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 7 am - 3:30 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 15 gallons per visit.
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers.
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Which option fits your Merced cleanout?4
A box with paint, thinner and spray cans
Drop the liquid paint at Highway 59 any day it's open, or bring everything together to the Oct. 17, 2026 event at the same landfill, 8 a.m. to noon. Thinner and spray cans aren't taken on regular days.
You live in Los Banos or Gustine
Use the Billy Wright Landfill on South Billy Wright Road. It takes liquid paint Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. If you only have paint, park beside the inbound scale and tell the clerk.
Repaint job left 60 gallons
That's far over the 15-gallon household limit at the landfill. ACTenviro on Riggs Avenue is listed for up to 200 gallons of house paint, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Call 209-722-4228 first.
Three nearly empty latex cans
Let them dry out completely; the RWA says dried latex can go in the landfill. Save the trip for paint that's still liquid.
Merced rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take liquid paint to the Highway 59 Landfill, 7040 N. Highway 59, Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; it's free for Merced County residents, up to 15 gallons in cans of 5 gallons or less. Spray paint, thinner and solvents are taken only at RWA collection events; the next listed one is Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 8 a.m.–noon, at the same landfill. Dried latex can go in the trash.
In Merced and the rest of Merced County, liquid paint goes to the Highway 59 Landfill north of town, run by the Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority (RWA). It's free for county residents and taken any day the landfill is open, Monday through Saturday. Paint thinner, spray paint, solvents and pool chemicals are different: they're taken only at a collection event.
How to get there
The City of Merced's directions: go west on Olive Avenue past Walmart, turn right on Highway 59, and the landfill is on your right in about 5 miles. If you only have paint, park diagonally in front of the scale house and tell the attendant.
Thinner and spray paint need an event day
The landfill takes paint every open day, but paint thinner, solvents and non-empty aerosol cans are taken only at HHW collection events. The RWA holds them at Highway 59 or the Los Banos Fairgrounds (403 F St.). The next one listed is Oct. 17, 2026, 8 a.m. to noon, at Highway 59. Empty aerosol cans go in your curbside recycling.
Container size goes by the label
The 5-gallon cap is based on the size printed on the container, not how much paint is left in it. A half-full 5-gallon bucket counts as 5 gallons toward the 15-gallon household limit.
One program for the whole county
Both regional landfills are run by the RWA, and the free drop-off is open to any Merced County resident. The RWA board includes the county's six cities: Atwater, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston, Los Banos and Merced. West-side towns can use the Billy Wright Landfill near Los Banos instead; it takes paint on the same Monday–Saturday schedule.
Closed on Veterans Day
Both landfills close Sundays and on nine holidays, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare stores in Merced take house paint free, including Dunn-Edwards on R Street, Sherwin-Williams on G Street and Vista Paint on V Street; check PaintCare's map for limits. ACTenviro on Riggs Avenue is listed for up to 200 gallons on weekday mornings. For 100 gallons or more, PaintCare can also arrange a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Bring paint only if it's still liquid; let small amounts of latex dry and put them in the trash. Keep cans closed and labeled, and count gallons by the size on the label. Set thinner and spray cans aside for an event day.
Full preparation checklist →Merced questions5
Can I drop off paint at the Merced landfill on a weekday?
Yes. The Highway 59 Landfill takes liquid paint Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m., except holidays.
Does the landfill take oil-based paint?
Yes. The RWA's free-drop-off list includes liquid latex and non-latex paint. Paint thinner and solvents are a different matter; those wait for an event.
Can I throw dried latex paint away in Merced?
Yes. The RWA says dried latex paint can be disposed of in the landfill.
Can my painting business use the landfill?
Probably not. The RWA's HHW page says the everyday drop-off is not for businesses, and PaintCare lists both landfills for households only, though the same HHW page also lists a 27-gallon business paint limit. Call 209-723-4481 first, or use a PaintCare site that takes business paint, such as ACTenviro on Riggs Avenue. The RWA points businesses to ACTenviro and Clean Harbors.
I live in Atwater. Where do I go?
Atwater is one of the county's six cities on the RWA board, and any Merced County resident can use the Highway 59 Landfill. PaintCare also lists stores in nearby towns, such as Hilmar Lumber Ace in Hilmar.
Sources and how we checked10
October 13, 2026 (peer-reviewed the same day): read the RWA's household hazardous waste, free-at-the-landfill, landfills and about pages and its Oct. 17 event listing, the City of Merced's refuse FAQ, and PaintCare's locator data for Merced County. Unresolved: the RWA's HHW page gives the Highway 59 ZIP as 95340 in one place and 95348 in another; we use 95348 from the landfill contact block. The HHW page lists a 27-gallon business paint limit, but the same page says the everyday drop-off is not taken from businesses, the free-at-the-landfill page says items like paint may not be taken from businesses, and PaintCare lists both landfills for households only, so we tell businesses it's probably not allowed and to call. An older City of Merced clean-up page gives shorter Saturday hours (8 a.m.–noon); we follow the RWA's Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. ACTenviro's Merced paint details come only from PaintCare; its own site was not checked. The Oct. 17 event must be moved to past tense after it passes, and the RWA calendar checked for the next date.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority: household hazardous waste ↗Merced County RWA: free at the landfill ↗Merced County RWA: landfills, hours and holidays ↗Merced County RWA: about us ↗Merced County RWA: October 17, 2026 HHW collection event ↗City of Merced: refuse FAQs ↗PaintCare California ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}