Drop it off free
6 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.1 mi
- RP LumberPaint store2.3 mi
- Habitat for Humanity of McLean County ReStorePaint store2.4 mi
Bloomington, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Bloomington.
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All drop-off locations in and near Bloomington9
Start with these
Habitat for Humanity of McLean County ReStore (PaintCare drop-off)
1402 W Washington St, Bloomington, IL 61701
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original labeled containers up to 5 gallons. No spray cans, and no leaking or empty containers.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and very small businesses, according to PaintCare. That is narrower than most stores on the list, which take paint from any business.
- Hours
- PaintCare lists Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Habitat's own site says the store is open 10–5 but takes donations only 10–4. It doesn't say whether paint follows donation hours, so come by 4 p.m. or call first. Closed Sundays.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit.
- Fees
- Free.
Habitat says staff and volunteers help unload donations. It is not a hazardous waste site: no thinner, mineral spirits or solvents.
Ace Hardware of Normal (PaintCare drop-off)
204 E College Ave, Normal, IL 61761
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original labeled containers up to 5 gallons. No spray paint.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare says paint is taken during regular store hours. We didn't confirm store hours; call first.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit. The Ecology Action Center says to call ahead if you have more.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
No thinner, solvents, auto or craft paint. Call before bringing a full trunk.
McLean County household hazardous waste collection at the Interstate Center (August 22, 2026)
1106 Interstate Dr, Bloomington, IL 61705
- Accepts
- Illinois EPA's fall list: chemical cleaners, oil-based paint, thinner, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed and insect killers, pesticides and fluorescent lamps. No latex paint.
- Who can use it
- Illinois residents with an appointment. Home waste only, no business or farm waste.
- Hours
- This collection was held Saturday, August 22, 2026, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., by appointment. It was McLean County's only 2026 collection. The Ecology Action Center says it is working toward a possible fall 2027 collection if funding comes through.
- Load limits
- No limit was listed.
- Fees
- Free.
There is no year-round hazardous waste site in McLean County. Join the Ecology Action Center's email list to hear about a 2027 date. The phone is the Ecology Action Center office in Normal, which takes no materials. WGLT listed 309-468-6449 for 2026 registration.
6 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Bloomington.
6 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 Illinois
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
1.1 mi115 Krispy Kreme Dr #6, Bloomington, IL 61704
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
2.3 mi2440 S Main St, Bloomington, IL 61704
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Habitat for Humanity of McLean County ReStore
2.4 mi1402 W Washington St, Bloomington, IL 61701
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Illinois
- Hours
- Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Ace Hardware of Normal
2.5 mi204 E College Ave, Normal, IL 61761
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
2.7 mi1906 E College Ave, Normal, IL 61761
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Paint Depot Inc
2.9 mi2407 General Electric Rd Ste A, Bloomington, IL 61704
- 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 Bloomington cleanout?4
You missed the August collection
The 2026 McLean County collection was held August 22 and won't repeat this year. If you can drive about 45 miles south, Macon County's collection in Decatur on Saturday, October 24 is open to any Illinois resident who registers. Otherwise keep thinner and spray cans sealed and join the EAC's email list for a 2027 date.
You live in Le Roy, El Paso or Clinton
You don't need to drive into town. PaintCare lists Le Roy True Value at 400 S Chestnut St, RP Lumber at 27 W Main St in El Paso, and RP Lumber and Gibson Ace in Clinton. The EAC's business page also lists an RP Lumber at 208 W Cherry St in Le Roy that we didn't find on PaintCare's map, so call before going there.
A rental turnover left 40 gallons
The stores take 5 gallons per visit, and the EAC says anyone with more than 5 gallons must call ahead. Call Paint Depot or RP Lumber with your count. At 100 gallons or more, PaintCare will pick it up free.
Your can has no label
PaintCare sites refuse unlabeled cans. If it's latex, let it dry out and put it in the trash. If it might be oil-based, keep it sealed for a hazardous waste collection.
Bloomington rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to a PaintCare drop-off the Ecology Action Center lists, such as the Habitat ReStore, 1402 W Washington St (Monday–Saturday; donations close at 4 p.m.), or Ace Hardware of Normal, 204 E College Ave; 5 gallons per visit. Thinner and spray paint: McLean County's 2026 collection was in August, so keep them sealed or sign up for Decatur's collection on October 24.
In Bloomington-Normal (McLean County, Illinois), leftover house paint goes free to one of the PaintCare drop-offs the Ecology Action Center lists, such as the Habitat ReStore on West Washington Street. McLean County has no year-round hazardous waste site, and its one 2026 collection was in August, so thinner and spray paint have to wait or travel.
Use the Ecology Action Center's list
The Ecology Action Center (EAC), McLean County's recycling agency, lists seven drop-offs: Ace Hardware of Normal, the Habitat ReStore, Paint Depot on General Electric Road, RP Lumber on South Main, both Sherwin-Williams stores (East College in Normal and Krispy Kreme Drive in Bloomington), and Le Roy True Value. It adds sites in El Paso and Clinton for people in the north and south of the county.
Get to the ReStore by 4 to be safe
The Habitat ReStore at 1402 W Washington St is open 10 to 5, but Habitat takes donations only until 4 p.m. PaintCare lists it for households and very small businesses only. The other stores take paint from any business.
Thinner and spray paint have no local home right now
PaintCare stores refuse thinner, mineral spirits and spray paint. McLean County's only 2026 hazardous waste collection was held August 22 at the Interstate Center. The EAC is hoping for a fall 2027 event if funding comes back. Its office at 202 W College Ave takes no materials.
A permanent site is still just a plan
The EAC finished a study in late 2024 on building a household hazardous waste site for central Illinois and is asking for donations toward it. For now it says the closest year-round sites are in the Chicago area or East St. Louis.
Make sure you're on the Illinois page
Bloomington, Indiana, is a different city with its own rules. This page is for Bloomington and Normal in McLean County, Illinois.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare lists the Bloomington-Normal stores below, plus Le Roy, El Paso and Clinton; 5 gallons per visit, and the EAC says to call ahead with more. At 100 gallons or more, request PaintCare's free pickup. For thinner and spray paint this fall, the nearest Illinois EPA collection left is in Decatur on Saturday, October 24 (sign-up required).
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid tight. PaintCare stores refuse leaking or empty cans, auto and marine paint, craft paint, caulk, epoxy and deck cleaner. Put thinner and spray cans in a separate box to keep sealed until an event.
Full preparation checklist →Bloomington questions5
Where can I drop off old paint in Normal?
Ace Hardware of Normal at 204 E College Ave and Sherwin-Williams at 1906 E College Ave are both on PaintCare's list. Call first; each takes up to 5 gallons a visit.
Does Bloomington have a hazardous waste drop-off?
No. McLean County has no year-round site. The 2026 collection was held August 22, and the next one depends on 2027 funding.
Can I bring paint to the Ecology Action Center office?
No. The EAC says its office takes no materials at any time.
Can my business use the Habitat ReStore for paint?
Only if it's a very small business, according to PaintCare's listing. Other businesses can use the hardware and paint stores, 5 gallons per visit.
Is there a fee to drop off paint?
No. PaintCare sites are free. The program is paid for by a fee on new paint sold in Illinois.
Sources and how we checked14
Checked October 13, 2026; no calls or visits. The City of Bloomington's solid waste pages returned 'page not found,' so we couldn't confirm what its convenience center or trash rules say about paint. RP Lumber at 208 W Cherry St, Le Roy appears on the EAC business page but not in PaintCare's data. The EAC page lists the Mattoon and East Moline addresses swapped; Illinois EPA's release has them right. We didn't confirm store hours or space.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Ecology Action Center: paint disposal ↗Ecology Action Center: paint for businesses ↗Ecology Action Center: McLean County HHW update ↗Ecology Action Center: typical household hazardous wastes ↗Ecology Action Center: upcoming Illinois HHW collections ↗Illinois EPA Bloomington event page ↗Illinois EPA fall 2026 HHW announcement ↗WGLT on the August 2026 McLean County collection ↗WGLT on McLean County paint drop-offs opening ↗Habitat for Humanity of McLean County ReStore ↗PaintCare Illinois ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗Illinois EPA Decatur event page ↗
