Drop it off free
4 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Meeks Lumber and HardwarePaint store0.2 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.3 mi
- South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling HHW FacilityHazardous waste site1.3 mi
South Lake Tahoe, CA Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in South Lake Tahoe.
NOW AVAILABLE IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near South Lake Tahoe6
Start with these
South Tahoe Refuse Household Hazardous Waste Facility (at the transfer station)
2140 Ruth Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
- Accepts
- Paint (latex and oil-based, stain and varnish per PaintCare), paint thinner, paint strippers, solvents, cleaners, bleach, gasoline, motor oil and pesticides. Lithium batteries too. Home-generated needles in a sealed, puncture-proof container go to the transfer station Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Who can use it
- Residents, plus small businesses by appointment with an EPA ID number and STR's business drop-off form. PaintCare's listing names households and very small businesses in El Dorado County, Alpine County and the City of South Lake Tahoe.
- Hours
- South Tahoe Refuse says it's staffed Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., closed for lunch noon–12:30. El Dorado County's page says the same hours but "by appointment only," and PaintCare lists Tuesday and Saturday by appointment. Call 530-542-8368 before you go (main office 530-541-5105, the number PaintCare lists). PaintCare says it's closed on holidays.
- Load limits
- Up to 15 gallons per day free, in containers of 5 gallons or less, sealed and labeled if you know what it is.
- Fees
- Free up to 15 gallons a day. Charges apply above that.
Check in with the cashier first and don't leave waste unattended. The main transfer station doesn't take liquids, and no hazardous waste goes in any curbside cart.
El Dorado Disposal Materials Recovery Facility HHW drop-off (Diamond Springs / Placerville)
4100 Throwita Way, Diamond Springs, CA 95619
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, plus most other household hazardous waste, per PaintCare and the county.
- Who can use it
- El Dorado County households, and very small businesses by appointment.
- Hours
- Friday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., closed noon–1 p.m., per El Dorado County. PaintCare lists households Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and businesses by appointment Friday and Saturday 8–9 a.m. (530-295-2808).
- Load limits
- 15 gallons per visit, per PaintCare.
- Fees
- Free for household waste; charges apply to business waste.
This is on the west slope near Placerville, not in the Tahoe basin. Call ahead; the county and PaintCare disagree on Sunday. The county also lists 530-642-0731, and PaintCare files the site under Placerville.
4 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of South Lake Tahoe.
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.
Meeks Lumber and Hardware
0.2 mi2763 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.3 mi1035 Takela Dr, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling HHW Facility
1.3 mi2140 Ruth Ave, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
- Who
- HHW and VSQG Businesses in Alpine County El Dorado County City of South Lake Tahoe
- Hours
- Tuesday and Saturday by appointment only. Closed Holidays
- 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. SOME BUSINESSES may use this program by appointment or on special days. Contact the program for details if your paint (or other hazardous waste) is from a business.
Meeks Lumber and Hardware
5.3 mi2970 Hwy 50, Meyers, CA 96150
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Tahoe City Ace Hardware and Lumber
18.7 mi715 River Rd, Tahoe City, CA 96145
- 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 South Lake Tahoe cleanout?4
A few cans left after painting a vacation rental
Call 530-542-8368, then bring them to Ruth Avenue Tuesday to Saturday. It's free up to 15 gallons a day. If it's only house paint, Sherwin-Williams on Takela Drive takes up to 20 gallons.
Old stain, thinner and a gas can from the garage
These go to the hazardous waste area at Ruth Avenue, not the transfer station floor and not the PaintCare stores. Keep each in a sealed container of 5 gallons or less.
Painting contractor finishing a job in town
Get an EPA ID number, fill out South Tahoe Refuse's business form and book an appointment at 530-542-8368. Up to 15 gallons is free. House paint can also go to a PaintCare store that takes business paint.
You're headed down to Placerville anyway
El Dorado Disposal at 4100 Throwita Way takes household hazardous waste Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m. PaintCare lists Friday and Saturday only, so call 530-626-4141 before a Sunday trip.
South Lake Tahoe rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Call South Tahoe Refuse's hazardous waste line at 530-542-8368, then take paint to 2140 Ruth Ave., Tuesday–Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (closed noon–12:30). Up to 15 gallons a day is free, in sealed containers of 5 gallons or less. The county and PaintCare say appointments are required, while South Tahoe Refuse's own page doesn't, so call first. For house paint only, Sherwin-Williams on Takela Drive takes up to 20 gallons a visit.
In South Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, leftover paint goes to South Tahoe Refuse's household hazardous waste facility at its transfer station, 2140 Ruth Avenue. It's free for up to 15 gallons a day. This is a separate system from Truckee's on the north side of the lake. Three local stores also take house paint through PaintCare.
Call before you drive to Ruth Avenue
South Tahoe Refuse says its hazardous waste area is staffed Tuesday to Saturday and only requires appointments for businesses. El Dorado County's page says the site is by appointment only, and PaintCare lists just Tuesday and Saturday by appointment. One call to 530-542-8368 settles it. When you arrive, check in with the cashier and don't leave anything unattended.
The transfer station itself won't take liquids
The main transfer station at the same address is open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it doesn't take liquids. Wet paint has to go through the hazardous waste area during its hours. Needles in a sealed, puncture-proof container can go to the transfer station any day it's open.
Who the site serves
PaintCare lists the Ruth Avenue site for households and very small businesses in the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Alpine County. South Tahoe Refuse also collects curbside in the city and in parts of unincorporated El Dorado County it calls Area A and Area B. If you live on the Nevada side, call before you bring paint.
Placerville is the county's other option
El Dorado County's west-slope site is El Dorado Disposal at 4100 Throwita Way in Diamond Springs, near Placerville, Friday to Sunday. The county's appointment-only events are also held on the west slope, and the only one it lists, Sept. 19 in Cameron Park, was cancelled. None are listed in the Tahoe basin.
Businesses need an EPA ID
Small businesses can drop off up to 15 gallons free, but they need an EPA ID number, an appointment at 530-542-8368, and South Tahoe Refuse's business drop-off form filled out ahead of time.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare lists three local stores for house paint: Sherwin-Williams at 1035 Takela Dr. (20 gallons a visit), Meeks Lumber and Hardware at 2763 Lake Tahoe Blvd. (5 gallons) and Meeks in Meyers at 2970 Hwy 50 (5 gallons). None take spray cans. With 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare about a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Use containers of 5 gallons or less with the lids sealed, and keep the label on if you know what it is. Count your gallons; anything over 15 a day costs extra. Don't put paint in any curbside cart or bear box.
Full preparation checklist →South Lake Tahoe questions5
Do I need an appointment to drop off paint in South Lake Tahoe?
Possibly. South Tahoe Refuse only requires them for businesses, but El Dorado County and PaintCare say appointments are needed. Call 530-542-8368 before you go.
How much paint can I bring for free?
Up to 15 gallons a day, in containers of 5 gallons or less. South Tahoe Refuse charges for anything above that.
Can I put dried latex paint in my South Tahoe Refuse cart?
South Tahoe Refuse's 2026 guide says household hazardous waste isn't allowed in any curbside container, and its pages don't mention drying latex for the trash. Bring it to Ruth Avenue or a PaintCare store instead.
I live in Meyers. Is there anywhere closer?
For house paint only, PaintCare lists Meeks Lumber and Hardware at 2970 Hwy 50 in Meyers, up to 5 gallons a visit. Thinner and other chemicals still go to Ruth Avenue.
Is this the same as the Truckee drop-off?
No. Truckee's leftovers go through Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal on the north side. South Lake Tahoe uses South Tahoe Refuse on Ruth Avenue.
Sources and how we checked10
October 16, 2026: read South Tahoe Refuse's hazardous waste, transfer station and California residential pages and its 2026 service guide (PDF); El Dorado County's household hazardous waste facilities and events pages (via WebFetch; direct downloads were blocked); and PaintCare's locator data for South Lake Tahoe, Meyers and Placerville. Conflicts: STR says staffed Tuesday–Saturday with appointments only for businesses; the county says by appointment only; PaintCare says Tuesday and Saturday by appointment. Throwita Way: the county says Friday–Sunday, PaintCare says Friday–Saturday. The county's only listed event (Sept. 19, Cameron Park; the page gives no year) was cancelled; no Tahoe-basin events were listed. Whether Nevada-side residents can use Ruth Avenue isn't stated. A PaintCare event at South Tahoe Middle School appeared in search results but seems to date from 2024 and wasn't used. Store hours weren't checked.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
South Tahoe Refuse: hazardous waste information ↗South Tahoe Refuse: transfer station ↗South Tahoe Refuse: 2026 service guide (PDF) ↗South Tahoe Refuse: California residential services ↗El Dorado County: household hazardous waste collection facilities ↗El Dorado County: household hazardous waste collection events ↗PaintCare California ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
