Drop it off free
5 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.7 mi
- Dunn-EdwardsPaint store0.9 mi
- Outdoor Supply HardwarePaint store3.8 mi
Santa Cruz, CA Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Santa Cruz8
Start with these
Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility — HHW
605 Dimeo Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Accepts
- Household latex or oil paint and other listed hazardous products, including thinner and spray cans.
- Who can use it
- City of Santa Cruz and participating county households. No business waste at Dimeo Lane.
- Hours
- Saturday 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. for household hazardous waste.
- Load limits
- Households: 15 gallons or 125 pounds per day; bring more another day. Ask staff first if your total is over 30 gallons or 250 pounds. Containers 5 gallons or less.
- Fees
- Free for households.
Landfill hours aren't hazardous waste hours. Keep liquids and solids apart. Containers aren't returned.
Buena Vista HHW Facility
1231 Buena Vista Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076
- Accepts
- Household paint and other approved hazardous waste. Business waste only if approved.
- Who can use it
- Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley and unincorporated county households. The City of Watsonville has its own program. County businesses book appointments.
- Hours
- Households: Wednesday 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Businesses by separate appointment.
- Load limits
- Households: 15 gallons or 125 pounds per day; bring more another day. Talk to staff before planning over 30 gallons or 250 pounds total. Containers 5 gallons or less.
- Fees
- Free for households. Businesses need a current quote.
The Watsonville mailing address doesn't mean City of Watsonville residents can use it. Check alerts before you go.
Dunn-Edwards — Santa Cruz
1001 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- 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
- UCSC lists a 20-gallon latex limit. Ask the store's current limit and stay within transport rules. 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.
5 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Santa Cruz.
3 paint stores and 2 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.
Sherwin-Williams
0.7 mi408 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Dunn-Edwards
0.9 mi1001 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Outdoor Supply Hardware
3.8 mi1601 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
- Limits
- Limit: 10 gallons per visit.
HHW Facility at City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery
3.9 mi605 DiMeo Ln, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Santa Cruz County except Watsonville
- Hours
- Saturday 7:30 am -3:30 pm (No businesses)
- 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.
- Notes
- All Santa cruz County residents except for Watsonville
HHW Facility at Ben Lomond Transfer Station
8.4 mi9835 Newell Creek Rd, Ben Lomond, CA 95005
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Santa Cruz County except Watsonville
- Hours
- Households: Thursday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Businesses call for information.
- 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 Santa Cruz cleanout?4
Only house paint from a home project
The Ocean Street store takes PaintCare paint, and UCSC lists a 20-gallon latex limit there. Check the bin has room and you're within transport limits. Leave out thinner, spray paint and washwater.
You missed Saturday and have mixed waste
Buena Vista takes household waste Wednesday and Friday too. Wednesday closes an hour earlier. Go by hazardous waste hours, not when the rest of the site opens.
A local painting business
Business waste goes to Buena Vista's appointment program, not Dimeo Lane. The county checks you're a very small business, requires an EPA ID and offers Wednesday and Friday slots. Get approval and a price first. Watsonville city businesses use their own program.
Clearing out a mountain property
For household waste, go to Buena Vista or Dimeo instead of closed Ben Lomond. Set up a plan for a large load. The closure doesn't lift the 15-gallon/125-pound daily limit.
Santa Cruz rules and tips2
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Go to Dimeo Lane on Saturday for household paint and chemicals, or Dunn-Edwards on Ocean Street for paint only. For a mixed load on Wednesday or Friday, use Buena Vista. Ben Lomond is closed during construction.
Santa Cruz households can use Dimeo Lane on Saturday, the Ocean Street paint store, or Buena Vista on weekdays. Ben Lomond is closed for construction.
Ignore old Ben Lomond schedules
Ben Lomond was closed for construction on August 21, 2026; the last drop-off day was August 20. The county expects to reopen in September 2027. Old Thursday listings don't apply. Check the notice for any new date.
A Watsonville address isn't Watsonville city service
Buena Vista serves the county program area, including Santa Cruz. The City of Watsonville runs its own program. Mailing address and service area are different things.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare can review 100-gallon-plus loads for pickup. Store drop-offs depend on room. Waste from UCSC follows the university's EH&S process; don't assume it's household waste, especially oil-based paint.
Getting your paint ready
Use a sturdy lined bin, keep products apart and labels on. Dimeo keeps your containers. Know the source, paint type and amount before picking household or business service. Households can bring 15 gallons or 125 pounds a day; bring more another day, and ask staff first above 30 gallons or 250 pounds.
Full preparation checklist →Santa Cruz questions3
Is paint drop-off open whenever the landfill is?
No. This guide lists hazardous waste hours; the landfill being open doesn't mean it takes paint.
Can I use Ben Lomond during construction?
No. It's closed until a September 2027 reopening. Use Dimeo Lane, Buena Vista or a PaintCare paint store, and watch the notice for a new date.
What does it cost a business?
We couldn't confirm current prices. Ask the county for a quote; don't assume the free household rate or an old fee.
Sources and how we checked8
Rechecked October 6: Ben Lomond closed August 21, 2026, reopening September 2027; Buena Vista and Dimeo Lane are open as shown. The store's PaintCare listing wasn't rechecked. UCSC's 20 gallons is store capacity for latex, not a transport exception. The business rate is still unknown.
Checked October 6, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Santa Cruz hazardous waste collection ↗Santa Cruz County collection locations and current notices ↗Santa Cruz County construction closure announcement ↗Santa Cruz County household service boundaries ↗Santa Cruz County business HHW program ↗Dunn-Edwards Santa Cruz participation and store hours ↗UCSC verified retail latex routes ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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