Drop it off free
1 free paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Lake County LandfillHazardous waste site0.9 mi
- South Park Ace Hardware and LumberPaint store16.2 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store25.6 mi
Leadville, CO Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Leadville.
NOW AVAILABLE IN LEADVILLE
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Leadville3
Start with these
Lake County Landfill paint recycling, Leadville (tell the gatekeeper)
1500 County Rd 6, Leadville, CO 80461
- Accepts
- Latex and oil- or solvent-based paint in the original can, with the label on and the can sealed. The county says other paints are not accepted.
- Who can use it
- PaintCare lists it for Lake County households only, no businesses. The county's paint page says businesses can use it if they sign the generator log and have no more than 25 gallons a month. Ask at the gate if you're a business.
- Hours
- Friday to Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Thursday (except commercial charge accounts), per Lake County. PaintCare's listing shows 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with 8 to 4 in winter; go by the county's hours.
- Load limits
- Up to 10 gallons per day (Lake County); PaintCare lists 10 gallons per visit, in containers of 5 gallons or less.
- Fees
- No paint fee is posted on the county's price list. PaintCare says drop-off at its sites is free. Trash, tires and other items at the landfill have their own fees.
Tell the gatekeeper you have paint and keep it where staff can grab it. PaintCare's listing says the site takes most other household hazardous waste, but the county's pages don't say so; call 719-486-3099 before bringing spray cans or thinner.
Buena Vista ACE Hardware (PaintCare drop-off, 20 gallons a visit)
29785 US Hwy 24N, Buena Vista, CO 81211
- Accepts
- Labeled latex or oil-based paint, stain and varnish; cans up to 5 gallons. No aerosols, leaks or empties.
- Who can use it
- Homes and businesses.
- Hours
- Store hours. Phone first.
- Load limits
- 20 gallons a visit, twice Lake County's daily limit.
- Fees
- Free.
In Chaffee County. PaintCare lists a 20-gallon limit here, higher than the 5 gallons at the Frisco and Silverthorne stores. These facts come only from PaintCare's list. Habitat ReStore Chaffee County, also in Buena Vista, takes 5 gallons (Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., per PaintCare).
1 PaintCare drop-off site within 12 miles of Leadville.
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 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.
Lake County Landfill
0.9 mi1500 County Rd 6, Leadville, CO 80461
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Lake County
- Hours
- Friday through Tuesday 8-5 (8-4 winter)
- 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 also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers.
South Park Ace Hardware and Lumber
16.2 mi299 US Hwy 285, Fairplay, CO 80440
Sherwin-Williams
25.6 mi699 Ten Mile Dr, Frisco, CO 80443
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Buena Vista ACE Hardware
25.8 mi29785 US Hwy 24N, Buena Vista, CO 81211
- Limits
- Limit: 20 gallons per visit.
Vail Valley Ace Hardware
27.4 mi2111 N Frontage Rd W, Vail, CO 81657
- 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 Leadville cleanout?4
Six cans left after a cabin repaint
Drive them to the Lake County Landfill on a Friday through Tuesday. Tell the gatekeeper you have paint and leave the cans where staff can reach them.
Eighteen gallons from a remodel
Bring 10 gallons to the landfill one day and the rest another day. Or take up to 20 gallons in one stop to Buena Vista ACE Hardware.
You run a small painting crew
Ask at the landfill gate. The county lets businesses with 25 gallons or less a month sign its generator log, but PaintCare lists the site as household-only.
Spray cans and a can of thinner
Phone the County Road 6 gate at 719-486-3099 before loading them. If the answer is no, Lake County itself names Clean Harbors as the fallback.
Leadville rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Bring up to 10 gallons a day of sealed, labeled paint to the Lake County Landfill, 1500 County Rd 6, Friday to Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and tell the gatekeeper. Call 719-486-3099 before bringing spray cans or thinner; the county's page says other paints aren't accepted. For more than 10 gallons, Buena Vista ACE Hardware takes 20 gallons a visit.
In Leadville, Colorado (Lake County), leftover paint goes to the Lake County Landfill on County Road 6. Tell the gatekeeper you have paint; it takes up to 10 gallons a day of sealed, labeled latex or oil-based paint. The landfill is closed Wednesday and Thursday. There's no PaintCare paint store in Lake County, so for bigger loads PaintCare lists stores in Buena Vista, Frisco and Silverthorne.
Tell the gatekeeper, and keep the paint handy
Lake County's paint page asks you to tell the gatekeeper you have paint and keep it where staff can grab it. Cans must be the original ones, labeled and sealed. The limit is 10 gallons per day.
Plan around Wednesday and Thursday
The landfill and recycling center are open Friday to Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Wednesday and Thursday except for commercial charge accounts. PaintCare's listing shows 8 to 5 in summer; the county's hours are the ones to trust.
Businesses: the county and PaintCare disagree
PaintCare lists the landfill for Lake County households only. The county's own paint page says businesses can drop paint if they sign the generator certification log and have 25 gallons or less a month. Ask at the gate before bringing business paint.
Summit County's site may not take you
Colorado's state list names Summit County's SCRAP site near Dillon as the resource for Lake County, open to Summit residents and the surrounding area, April through October. But Summit County's own page doesn't mention Lake County, and it tells people needing hazardous waste service outside the county to check PaintCare for a closer place. Call 970-668-4290 before you drive over.
Town drop sites are for recycling only
The county's recycling drop sites at Community Park, 445 McWethey Dr, and 141 County Road 10 take paper, cans, plastic #1 and #2, glass and cardboard. Leave paint out of them; the county says the wrong items can get a whole bin dumped.
Free pickup programs and other options
Over the county's limit? Lake County points you to Clean Harbors, whose Henderson drop-off CDPHE lists as open to every Colorado resident (Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 to 2, third Saturdays 9 to 3). Lodges, landlords and contractors with 100+ gallons can request PaintCare's free large-volume pickup. In Summit County, PaintCare lists Sherwin-Williams at 699 Ten Mile Dr in Frisco and Spectra Pro Supply at 795 Blue River Pkwy in Silverthorne, 5 gallons each.
Getting your paint ready
Leave paint in its original can with the label on and the lid sealed. Keep it on top of the load so the gate staff can reach it. Cover and tarp the rest of your load; the county charges double for loads that aren't tarped. Bring no more than 10 gallons in a day.
Full preparation checklist →Leadville questions5
Where can I get rid of paint in Leadville?
At the Lake County Landfill, 1500 County Rd 6, Friday to Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It takes up to 10 gallons a day of sealed, labeled latex or oil-based paint.
Is there a paint store in Leadville that recycles paint?
PaintCare's data lists no store in Lake County. The landfill is the only PaintCare site in the county.
Does the Lake County Landfill take spray paint?
It's not clear. The county says other paints are not accepted, while PaintCare's listing says the site takes most household hazardous waste. Call 719-486-3099 first.
Can Lake County residents use Summit County's hazardous waste drop-off?
Colorado's state list says SCRAP serves Summit County and the surrounding area, including Lake County. Summit County's own page sends people from outside the county to PaintCare. Call 970-668-4290 to check before going.
What if I have more than 10 gallons?
Spread it over more than one day at the landfill, or take up to 20 gallons a visit to Buena Vista ACE Hardware. Lake County also suggests Clean Harbors for paint over its limit.
Sources and how we checked8
October 16, 2026 review. Read: Lake County's Landfill & Recycling, Paint Recycling and Recycling Center pages (hours, gatekeeper process, 10-gallon daily limit, business log, drop sites), Colorado CDPHE's household hazardous waste list (Lake County pointed to Summit County SCRAP; Clean Harbors open to all Colorado residents), Summit County's SCRAP page (sends out-of-county hazardous waste to PaintCare; does not name Lake County), PaintCare's Colorado page and locator data. Buena Vista ACE's 20-gallon limit and the Summit stores rest only on PaintCare's list. No calls or visits. Not settled: whether the landfill takes spray paint, thinner or other chemicals; whether businesses may use it (county and PaintCare disagree); whether Summit County will serve Lake County residents.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Lake County: Paint Recycling ↗Lake County: Landfill & Recycling (hours, fees, contacts) ↗Lake County: Recycling Center and drop sites ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare Colorado (drop-off, large-volume pickup, door-to-door counties) ↗Colorado CDPHE: household hazardous waste collection programs ↗Summit County: Recycling & Household Hazardous Waste at SCRAP ↗PaintCare free large-volume pickup (100+ gallons) ↗
