Drop it off free
7 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- RP LumberPaint store0.6 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.7 mi
- Niemann Ace HardwarePaint store1.6 mi
Champaign, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Champaign.
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All drop-off locations in and near Champaign8
Start with these
RP Lumber — Champaign (PaintCare drop-off named by the city)
403 N Country Fair Drive, Champaign, IL 61821
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons. No spray cans.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare says the store takes paint during regular hours. Call ahead; we didn't confirm store hours.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit. Original labeled containers only; no leaking or empty cans.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
An open store may not have room for paint, so call with your can count. No thinner, mineral spirits or spray paint.
7 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Champaign.
7 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.
RP Lumber
0.6 mi403 N Country Fair Dr, Champaign, IL 61821
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
0.7 mi709 N Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL 61821
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Niemann Ace Hardware
1.6 mi2811 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL 61821
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.9 mi702 W Marketview Dr, Champaign, IL 61822
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Niemann Ace Hardware
2.1 mi2021 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
3.4 mi109 W Curtis Rd, Savoy, IL 61874
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
3.7 mi203 N Vine St, Urbana, IL 61802
- 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 Champaign cleanout?4
Someone told you to take it to the new Urbana facility
901 Saline Court is land CCES bought for a future site. Its funding figures don't match (about 60% as of August 2025, 52% in July 2026), but neither says it's open, and the city confirms there's no year-round drop-off.
You were waiting for the State Farm Center event
It ran September 26, 2026. CCES's page still says 'tbd', but Illinois EPA's listing is current. For other chemicals, sign up for Springfield (October 17) or Decatur (October 24); both are open to all Illinois residents.
You have nearly full cans of good latex
First ask the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company, which the city says takes latex donations at least half full. Partial or unwanted cans go to a PaintCare store.
A rental turnover left 30 cans
At 5 gallons per visit, that's several store trips. Illinois businesses can bring oil-based and latex paint to PaintCare, and at 100 gallons or more PaintCare offers a free pickup. The city tells businesses with other hazardous waste to contact Illinois EPA.
Champaign rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to a city-named PaintCare store, like RP Lumber at 403 N Country Fair Drive, 5 gallons per visit; call first. The county's 2026 collection (September 26) has passed, and the Urbana site isn't open. For thinner and spray paint, use an Illinois EPA one-day event (nearest left: Decatur, October 24, 2026) or a year-round site.
In Champaign, paint now mostly goes to stores: the city names the PaintCare drop-offs in Champaign-Urbana. The county's 2026 hazardous waste collection has already happened. The long-planned year-round site in north Urbana is still raising money, not open.
The Urbana site isn't open
Champaign County Environmental Stewards (CCES) plans a household hazardous waste site at 901 Saline Court in Urbana. As of July 2026, its fundraising page says 52% of the money is in hand, and the city says there's no year-round drop-off. The haulers on Saline Court (GFL and Republic) don't take paint.
The 2026 State Farm Center collection has passed
The Illinois EPA collection in the State Farm Center southwest lot was Saturday, September 26, 2026. The city calls this yearly event, usually in summer, the only local hazardous waste option. Springfield (October 17) and Decatur (October 24) remain this year, open to any Illinois resident who signs up.
Oil-based stain can go to a store now
The city notes the county events took only oil-based paint and stain. Since PaintCare began in December 2025, the stores it names (Sherwin-Williams in Champaign, Urbana and Savoy, RP Lumber and Niemann Ace Hardware) take latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, 5 gallons per visit.
A local theater takes usable latex
The city says the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company takes donated latex paint if the can is at least half full. Contact manager@cutc.org or 217-352-4085 first. The city also suggests school theater departments.
Other garage items with their own drop-offs
The city page also sends 20-lb grill tanks to Hicksgas on East University Avenue, Urbana ($5 recycling fee), and old fire extinguishers to Illini Fire Equipment on North Lincoln Avenue (free). Mercury thermostats go to Public Works at 702 Edgebrook Drive; other mercury items go to a hazardous waste collection. None take paint, but they clear part of the garage now.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare lists more stores in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy and Rantoul, 5 gallons per visit; call first. Illinois EPA's year-round sites are Naperville, Chicago, Rockford and Lake County, plus Madison County's appointment collections in Wood River; CCES says the nearest is about three hours away. PaintCare picks up 100 gallons or more free.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in original labeled cans and call the store with a count. Chemicals waiting for an event: lids tight, away from heat and children. As a last resort for small amounts, the city says to dry paint with cat litter or a hardener and trash it.
Full preparation checklist →Champaign questions4
Can I drop paint at 901 Saline Court in Urbana?
No. That's where CCES plans to build. As of July 2026 it was still raising money, and the city says there's no year-round hazardous waste drop-off.
When is the next Champaign County hazardous waste collection?
The 2026 event was September 26 and has passed. The city says it's usually in summer; no 2027 date was posted when we checked.
Do I need to live in Champaign to use the stores?
No. PaintCare lists these stores as open to Illinois households and businesses.
Where does spray paint go?
Not to PaintCare stores. Illinois EPA one-day collections take spray paint.
Sources and how we checked13
Checked October 6, 2026; no calls or visits. CCES's funding numbers conflict (see above). We didn't confirm RP Lumber's hours or bin space. No 2027 county date was posted.
Checked October 6, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Champaign Where Do I Recycle It? (paint) ↗CCES HHW facility capital campaign (July 2026) ↗CCES earlier campaign page (August 2025) ↗CCES household hazardous waste information ↗Illinois EPA Champaign event page (September 26, 2026) ↗Illinois EPA fall 2026 HHW announcement ↗Illinois EPA Decatur event page ↗Illinois EPA long-term collection locations ↗Madison County HHW collections (appointments; open to all Illinois residents) ↗PaintCare Illinois ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare products ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
