Drop it off free
21 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Outdoor Supply HardwarePaint store0.9 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.9 mi
- Leo RecyclePaint store3 mi
San Jose, CA Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in San Jose.
NOW AVAILABLE IN SAN JOSE
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup From $89 for up to 5 gallons · Online booking coming soon
All drop-off locations in and near San Jose23
Start with these
San José Environmental Innovation Center — appointment HHW
1608 Las Plumas Avenue, San José, CA 95133; use the entrance and destination in your county appointment confirmation
- Accepts
- Household paint, wet or dry, plus solvents in their own containers and other household chemicals.
- Who can use it
- Santa Clara County households in the county program, including San José. Palo Alto has its own.
- Hours
- Appointments only, booked on the county calendar. No walk-ins.
- Load limits
- 15 gallons of liquid or 125 pounds of solids per vehicle. Containers 5 gallons or less.
- Fees
- Free for households. Businesses use a separate service.
Bring proof of address. The county gives the drop-off location after you book; the street address alone doesn't let you in. No medicine at this site.
Dunn-Edwards — San José
690 N Winchester Boulevard, San José, CA 95128
- Accepts
- Latex or oil house paint, primer, stain, varnish.
- Who can use it
- Homes and businesses; oil-based business paint needs PaintCare's OK.
- Hours
- Monday–Friday 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sunday closed.
- Load limits
- No posted limit; ask before a big load. Cans 5 gallons max, sound and labeled.
- Fees
- Free for PaintCare products.
No spray paint, thinner or washwater. Call about room; open hours aren't a promise of space.
21 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of San Jose.
21 paint stores and 0 hazardous waste sites, 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.
Outdoor Supply Hardware
0.9 mi1751 E Capitol Expy, San Jose, CA 95121
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.9 mi3019 Monterey Rd, San Jose, CA 95111
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Leo Recycle
3 mi215 Leo Ave, San Jose, CA 95112
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in California
- Hours
- Monday - Friday 6 am - 7 pm, Saturday, 7 am - 6 pm, Sunday 7 am - 5 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 10 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.
Ace Hardware of San Jose
3.6 mi634 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123
- Who
- Households and Businesses
- Limits
- Limit: 6 gallosn per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
4.3 mi944 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
4.4 mi1029 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
4.7 mi2606 Alum Rock Rd, San Jose, CA 95116
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
4.8 mi2910 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95127
- Who
- Households and Businesses
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Show 13 more sites
Creative Paint
5 mi3159 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95127
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Outdoor Supply Hardware
5.4 mi1375 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95118
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
ACTenviro San Jose Transfer Station
5.9 mi967 Mabury Rd, San Jose, CA 95133
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in California
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8 am - 10 am
- 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.
Sherwin-Williams
6.3 mi1856 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
PPG Paints
6.5 mi1090 S Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA 95128
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
6.5 mi1825 S Bascom Ave, Campbell, CA 95008
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
7.8 mi690 N Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Los Gatos Ace Hardware
8.5 mi15300 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
8.7 mi1717 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin Williams
9.4 mi901 Laurelwood Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
- Who
- Households and Businesses
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Westgate Ace Hardware
9.8 mi5205 Prospect Rd, San Jose, CA 95129
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
10.6 mi15 N Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
12 mi10650 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
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 San Jose cleanout?3
A garage with paint and other chemicals
List your containers before you book. Add up every liquid, not just paint, for the 15-gallon vehicle limit. Keep products apart so a can of paint doesn't become an unknown mix.
A Saturday paint-only drop-off
The Winchester store takes paint Saturdays until 3 p.m. Ask if the bin has room. It can save a hazardous waste booking, but don't leave cans outside if it's full.
A contractor or shop with leftover paint
Don't book a free household slot for company waste. The city sends very small businesses to 800-207-8222. PaintCare can also check business paint; oil-based rules depend on your business, not how few cans you have.
San Jose rules and tips2
THE LOCAL ANSWER
For a few labeled cans, Dunn-Edwards on Winchester takes PaintCare paint. For paint plus thinner, spray cans or unknown chemicals, book Santa Clara County's hazardous waste drop-off first. It's free for households.
San José has two options: a booked county appointment for mixed chemicals, or a paint store for house paint. The address alone won't get you in.
Book before you load
The county tells you where to go when you book. Follow that, even if a map shows Las Plumas Avenue. Clear your own things out of the trunk so staff can tell waste from things you're keeping.
Let the label decide
Wall paint can go to a store. Thinner, spray cans and mixed cleanup liquid can't; a paint store doesn't take every painting chemical.
Free pickup programs and other options
Before planning many trips, ask PaintCare whether your 100-plus gallons (by can size) qualify for free pickup; PaintCare approves and schedules it. County pop-up events are another booked option. An old event listing isn't an appointment.
Getting your paint ready
Keep spray cans, solvents and paint apart. Stand labeled cans upright in a sturdy, leak-proof box. Bring proof of address and be on time; over 15 minutes late may get you turned away. Containers aren't returned.
Full preparation checklist →San Jose questions3
Do I need to dry the paint first?
No. The county takes wet and dry paint. Keep it in the can, say what shape it's in when you book, and don't add hardener.
Can I bring medicine too?
Not to the county's San José site; it stopped taking medicine there in January 2025. Follow the county's medicine advice.
Can I just show up at the street address?
No. County drop-off needs an appointment. Store hours and county slots are separate.
Sources and how we checked8
City and county sources confirm the program, and a city agreement backs up the address. Appointment times are in the live booking system. Store capacity and business prices aren't public.
Checked October 4, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
San José household hazardous waste ↗Santa Clara County appointment and load limits ↗Santa Clara County drop-off procedure ↗Santa Clara County HHW program ↗Dunn-Edwards San José participation and store hours ↗PaintCare accepted products ↗PaintCare business participation ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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