Paint recycling
in Colorado.
Paint drop-off along the Front Range, the Western Slope and in mountain towns.
Check your local rules.
Some Colorado counties offer free door-to-door pickup for 10 gallons or more, so check that before paying anyone. Other rules, like residency, appointments and business limits, vary by county.
Free paint recycling.
Colorado has a free paint recycling program called PaintCare. Many paint and hardware stores take leftover house paint, stain and varnish at no charge.
How it works in Colorado ↗10 cities
Aspen ↗
Aspen has a year-round hazardous waste site at the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center. It takes PaintCare paint but also has a hazardous materials price list, so call about your products.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoBoulder ↗
Boulder County’s Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF) takes paint and painting chemicals free from Boulder County, Broomfield and Erie households, and gives away usable paint. Empty plastic buckets go to Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM on Arapahoe Road instead.
Checked October 6, 2026ColoradoColorado Springs ↗
The county site on Akers Drive takes more household chemicals than a paint store. It also has rules on residence, load size and timing to check before you pack.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoDelta ↗
Delta County lists local stores that take leftover house paint, so a paint cleanout needn’t start with a long drive to a regional hazardous waste site.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoDenver ↗
Denver residents can drop off paint free at GreenSheen, and households with enough paint can get free pickup. Check both before paying a hauler.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoFort Collins ↗
Larimer County’s Taft Hill site takes paint and household chemicals. With a 30-gallon vehicle limit and no household drop-off Wednesday, sort first.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoGrand Junction ↗
Mesa County’s Highway 50 hazardous waste site takes more painting products than a paint store. Whether it’s free depends on where you live and how much you bring.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoLongmont ↗
Longmont’s Recycling Center on Martin Street won’t take paint. Year-round, use Boulder County’s HMMF or a PaintCare store. The city also holds one residents-only chemical drop-off day a year at the Waste Services Center; next is August 21, 2027.
Checked October 6, 2026ColoradoPueblo ↗
Pueblo County lists paint stores separately from recyclers that take special products. Knowing what you have matters more than finding the nearest recycling address.
Checked October 4, 2026ColoradoSteamboat Springs ↗
Routt County now sends recycling to the Apex SHIFT Center on Downhill Drive. Its regular paint drop-off is separate from the hazardous waste event held there.
Checked October 4, 2026Spray cans, thinner and other chemicals?
Paint stores won’t take these. Take them to your local household hazardous waste site. Your city guide lists it.
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