Drop it off free
4 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Teds Rentals and SalesPaint store0.4 mi
- Kroegers Ace HardwarePaint store0.9 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1 mi
Durango, CO Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Durango.
NOW AVAILABLE IN DURANGO
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Durango7
Start with these
Kroegers Ace Hardware (PaintCare drop-off, north Durango)
8 Town Plaza, Durango, CO 81301
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, 5 gallons or smaller per container (PaintCare listing). No aerosols, unlabeled, leaking or empty cans.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses (PaintCare listing).
- Hours
- During store hours. Call ahead to check hours and that they can take your paint.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit (PaintCare listing).
- Fees
- Free.
Kroegers is on Town Plaza in north Durango. Call first in case it can’t take paint that day. Spray paint isn’t taken. The city takes spray paint at its household hazardous waste events, and none is planned for 2026.
Colors Inc (PaintCare drop-off, Bodo Park in south Durango)
166 Bodo Dr, Durango, CO 81303
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, 5 gallons or smaller per container (PaintCare listing). No aerosols, unlabeled, leaking or empty cans.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses (PaintCare listing).
- Hours
- During store hours. Call ahead to check hours and that they can take your paint.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit (PaintCare listing).
- Fees
- Free.
Colors Inc sits in Bodo Industrial Park on the south side, near Sherwin-Williams on South Camino del Rio, which PaintCare also lists. Call before a big load; cans need original labels.
Lewis True Value Mercantile (PaintCare drop-off in Bayfield)
311 Bayfield Center Dr, Bayfield, CO 81122
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, 5 gallons or smaller per container (PaintCare listing). No aerosols, unlabeled, leaking or empty cans.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses (PaintCare listing).
- Hours
- During store hours. Call ahead to check hours and that they can take your paint.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit (PaintCare listing).
- Fees
- Free.
This is the only PaintCare store in eastern La Plata County in PaintCare’s data. Call ahead, since a small store may have limited room.
4 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Durango.
5 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 Colorado
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.
Teds Rentals and Sales
0.4 mi999 E College Dr, Durango, CO 81301
Kroegers Ace Hardware
0.9 mi8 Town Plaza, Durango, CO 81301
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1 mi400 S Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81301
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Colors Inc
1.3 mi166 Bodo Dr, Durango, CO 81303
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Lewis True Value Mercantile
15.2 mi311 Bayfield Center Dr, Bayfield, CO 81122
- Limits
- Limit: 5 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 Durango cleanout?5
You have 12 gallons left after painting the house
Durango stores in PaintCare’s data mostly allow 5 gallons per visit. Split the paint across trips or across stores, such as Kroegers Ace in the north end and Colors Inc in Bodo Park. Call each store first.
A box of old spray cans from the garage
PaintCare stores won’t take them, and the city has no event in 2026. Keep the cans cool and capped. Spray paint is on the city’s event list, and the city says to look for the next event in spring 2027.
Half an inch of latex in a gallon can
Take the lid off and let it dry in a ventilated spot away from kids and pets. When it’s dry all the way through, put the can in the trash with the lid off. Don’t put it in recycling.
A property manager with 40 gallons from rental turnovers
PaintCare stores take paint from businesses too, but most Durango stores cap a visit at 5 gallons. PaintCare’s data lists no per-visit limit for Ted’s Rentals and Sales, so call Ted’s first. The city asks bulk drop-offs at its events to book a time slot. At 100 gallons or more, PaintCare’s free large-volume pickup fits.
You live in Bayfield
Lewis True Value on Bayfield Center Drive is a PaintCare store, so you don’t have to drive into Durango for plain house paint. Same 5-gallon limit; call first.
Durango rules and tips6
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take leftover house paint, stain and varnish to a PaintCare store in Durango, such as Kroegers Ace on Town Plaza or Colors Inc in Bodo Park, up to 5 gallons per visit. There is no city or county hazardous waste event in 2026, so spray paint and thinner wait for the spring 2027 event. Small amounts of latex can be dried completely and put in the trash.
In Durango, Colorado, take leftover house paint to a PaintCare store. Kroegers Ace on Town Plaza and Colors Inc in Bodo Park are two, and Lewis True Value serves Bayfield. Colorado’s state list shows only collection events for La Plata County, not a year-round hazardous waste site, and the city says there is no event in 2026. Spray paint and thinner have to wait for the next event, which the city expects in spring 2027.
Paint goes to stores, not the recycle center
The Durango Recycle Center’s list of what it takes doesn’t include paint. The city’s paint page sends you to PaintCare stores instead. PaintCare’s data lists Kroegers Ace, Colors Inc, Sherwin-Williams on South Camino del Rio and Ted’s Rentals and Sales (999 E College Dr) in Durango.
No hazardous waste event in 2026
The city’s page says the collection event is not scheduled for 2026 and to look for one in spring 2027. Colorado’s state list says the Durango event is open to all La Plata County residents.
Spray paint and thinner wait
PaintCare stores don’t take spray cans or thinner. The city’s event list includes spray paint, paint thinner, stains and varnishes, and both latex and oil-based paint. Store them safely until the city posts a 2027 date.
Drying latex: only small amounts
The city says fully dried latex can go in the trash, but suggests a PaintCare store if you have more than a quart of liquid paint. Leave lids off dried cans. Don’t put paint-covered cans or cardboard in recycling.
Bayfield and east county
Lewis True Value on Bayfield Center Drive is the PaintCare store in Bayfield. It has the same 5-gallon-per-visit limit as the Durango stores.
How the Durango event usually runs
Households with small amounts usually just show up; waits of 15–30 minutes are common, longest at the start and end. Businesses and anyone with bulk amounts are usually asked to book a drop-off time. Containers over 30 gallons (150 lb) aren’t taken.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare’s free door-to-door pickup in Colorado covers only the Denver and Colorado Springs areas, not La Plata County. With 100 gallons or more, a contractor or property manager can ask PaintCare for a free large-volume pickup. Small amounts of latex can be dried and put in the trash, as the city describes. Spray paint and thinner wait for the city’s next hazardous waste event.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid tight. Sort out spray cans and thinner, since stores won’t take them. Count gallons: most Durango stores take 5 gallons per visit, so split a big pile across trips or stores. Call the store first.
Full preparation checklist →Durango questions5
Where can I recycle paint in Durango, CO?
At PaintCare stores, including Kroegers Ace (8 Town Plaza) and Colors Inc (166 Bodo Dr). They take latex and oil-based paint, stain and varnish free, up to 5 gallons per visit. Call ahead.
When is Durango’s next hazardous waste day?
The city says there is no event in 2026 and to look for one in spring 2027. Watch the city’s Household Hazardous Waste page for the date.
What do I do with spray paint in Durango?
Stores in the PaintCare program don’t take aerosols. The city takes spray paint at its hazardous waste event, so keep it until the next one.
Can I throw dried latex paint in the trash in Durango?
Yes, if it is completely dry all the way through. Leave the lid off. The city suggests a PaintCare store if you have more than a quart of liquid paint.
Can I recycle the empty paint can?
Not if it has dried paint on it. The city says not to recycle metal cans or cardboard covered in dried paint. Put them in the trash.
Sources and how we checked7
October 13, 2026: read the City of Durango’s Household Hazardous Waste, Paint Recycling and Safe Disposal, and Recycle Center pages, Colorado CDPHE’s household hazardous waste program list, PaintCare’s Colorado page and PaintCare’s locator data. The city says no hazardous waste event is scheduled for 2026 and to look for one in spring 2027; we give no date. CDPHE says the Durango event is open to all La Plata County residents (phone 970-375-5004). Store participation is from PaintCare’s data, not store visits or calls. Ted’s Rentals and Sales has no per-visit limit in PaintCare’s data. Peer review (Oct. 13): the Recycle Center page doesn’t say “no paint”; it just doesn’t list paint, so the guide now says that. PaintCare’s door-to-door pickup is limited to the Denver and Colorado Springs areas. Unresolved: we found no La Plata County page on hazardous waste or paint at the county transfer stations, and no year-round option for spray paint in the county.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Durango: Household Hazardous Waste (no 2026 event) ↗City of Durango: Paint Recycling and Safe Disposal ↗City of Durango: Recycle Center & Drop-Off ↗Colorado CDPHE: household hazardous waste collection programs ↗PaintCare Colorado (drop-off, large-volume pickup, door-to-door counties) ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program states ↗
