Drop it off free
4 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.6 mi
- Macon County Environmental Management Recycling CenterPaint store1.6 mi
- RP LumberPaint store4 mi
Decatur, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Decatur.
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All drop-off locations in and near Decatur7
Start with these
Macon County Environmental Management Recycling Center (paint collection days)
151 W. Wood St., Decatur, IL 62523
- Accepts
- Household latex and oil-based paint, stain and varnish in original, labeled containers, from pints up to 5-gallon buckets. No spray paint, automotive, craft, epoxy, aluminum, textured or industrial paint, and no lacquer, according to the county. Batteries, TVs, electronics and microwaves are also taken on the same days.
- Who can use it
- Households only. PaintCare lists it as households only, no businesses. The county's paint page also rules out paint from landlords and property managers.
- Hours
- Open only on scheduled collection days. The county's remaining 2026 paint and electronics collections are Saturday, October 17, Saturday, November 14 and Saturday, December 12, each 8 a.m.–noon. PaintCare's listing gives a different pattern (April through September, Tuesdays 8 a.m.–noon and Thursdays noon–4 p.m., plus one Saturday a month), so go by the county's event calendar.
- Load limits
- The county's paint FAQ says up to 20 containers (pints, quarts and gallons, with only a limited number of 5-gallon buckets). PaintCare's listing says 25 gallons per visit. The two count differently, so stay within both, or call 217-425-4505 before bringing more.
- Fees
- Free for paint. TVs and monitors cost $10 each (up to 7), and microwaves $5 each (up to 7).
Don't leave anything at the gate when no collection is running. Empty cans and cans of dried paint go in your household trash with the lids off, not to the collection. Pack cans loose in the trunk or truck bed (no boxes) and stay in your car while staff unload. Heavy rain, lightning or high winds can delay or cancel a collection. The county office at 141 S. Main St., Room 501, is for questions only; paint goes to Wood Street on a collection day.
Macon County household hazardous waste collection at the Farm Progress grounds (October 24, 2026)
East 6th Progress St., Decatur, IL 62521
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint, spray paint ("aerosol paints" on the county's list), paint thinner, solvents, cleaners, drain cleaners, acids, pool and lawn chemicals, pesticides, antifreeze, used motor oil, old gas, mercury, fluorescent bulbs, household batteries, and e-cigarettes and vapes. No latex paint.
- Who can use it
- Illinois EPA says its fall collections are open to all Illinois residents, not just Macon County. No business, farm or institution waste.
- Hours
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. You must register first.
- Load limits
- Neither the county nor Illinois EPA lists a limit.
- Fees
- Free.
The county calls the site the Farm Progress Fairgrounds; Illinois EPA calls it Progress City. Both list East Sixth Progress Street. The county's sign-up link is on its event page; Illinois EPA's page has its own link. Not taken: latex paint, car batteries, farm machinery oil, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, propane tanks, ammunition, fireworks, medicine and biohazard waste. Illinois EPA asks you to pack items in a box in the trunk, away from passengers, and stay in your car.
Sherwin-Williams — North Water Street, Decatur (PaintCare drop-off)
2705 N Water St, Decatur, IL 62526
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons. No spray cans, no unlabeled, leaking or empty containers.
- 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.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
Call with your can count, since a store may not have room that day. No thinner, solvents or spray paint.
4 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Decatur.
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 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
1.6 mi2705 N Water St, Decatur, IL 62526
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Macon County Environmental Management Recycling Center
1.6 mi151 W Wood St, Decatur, IL 62523
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Illinois
- Hours
- April thru September-Tuesdays: 8 am - 12 pm and Thursdays: 12 pm - 4 pm.- Select Saturdays, once per month.
- Limits
- Household generated paint, stain, and varnish will be accepted on any collection day. There is no cost for bringing in paint. The products must be in labeled, original containers. This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers.
- Notes
- Limit: 25 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
4 mi5225 E Maryland St, Decatur, IL 62521
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
The Perfect Pair Vendor Market
8.4 mi266 N State Route 121, Warrensburg, IL 62573
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Blue Mound Hardware and Supply Inc.
14.2 mi550 N Route 48, Blue Mound, IL 62513
- 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 Decatur cleanout?4
You have 30 cans from cleaning out a basement
That's more than a store's 5-gallon limit. Bring up to 20 containers to Wood Street on a Saturday collection (the county limits 5-gallon buckets), and take the rest to the next one or to a PaintCare store. PaintCare lists the county site at 25 gallons instead, so call 217-425-4505 if you're near either limit.
You can't make a Saturday morning
Use a PaintCare store during its own hours, like Sherwin-Williams at 2705 N Water St or RP Lumber at 5225 E Maryland St, 5 gallons per visit. Call first.
You have thinner, stripper and spray paint
Wood Street won't take them. Register for Saturday, October 24 at the Farm Progress grounds on East 6th Progress Street, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It also takes household batteries and vapes, but not latex.
You live outside Decatur
Wood Street is the county's site, and PaintCare lists it for Illinois households. If you'd rather stay close to home, PaintCare lists The Perfect Pair Vendor Market at 266 N State Route 121 in Warrensburg and Blue Mound Hardware on Route 48.
Decatur rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Bring household latex or oil-based paint, stain and varnish to Macon County's free collection at 151 W. Wood St. on Saturday, October 17, November 14 or December 12, 8 a.m.–noon (up to 20 containers, households only). Thinner and spray paint go to the county's hazardous waste collection on Saturday, October 24 at the Farm Progress grounds, registration required. Businesses use a PaintCare store.
In Decatur, Illinois, Macon County Environmental Management runs its own paint collection days at its recycling center, 151 W. Wood St. It takes latex and oil-based household paint free. On other days, use a PaintCare store, and save thinner and spray paint for the county's hazardous waste collection on October 24.
Wood Street opens only on collection days
The county recycling center is closed except during a scheduled collection, and it asks you not to leave things outside. The remaining 2026 dates are Saturdays October 17, November 14 and December 12, each 8 a.m. to noon. A Tuesday collection on September 29 has passed.
The county takes more paint than a store, but only from households
PaintCare stores take 5 gallons a visit. The county's FAQ allows up to 20 containers, with only a few 5-gallon buckets, and PaintCare lists the county site at 25 gallons. But the county takes household paint only: no businesses, and no landlords or property managers.
The county is pickier about paint types
Macon County turns away lacquer, spray, auto, craft, epoxy, aluminum, textured and industrial paint. Lacquer can go to a PaintCare store. Spray paint goes to the October 24 hazardous waste collection.
Stay in your car and pack loose
The county asks you to put cans loose in the trunk or truck bed, not in boxes, and let staff unload. Rain, lightning or high wind can delay or cancel a collection, so check the county's site the morning of.
Empty and dried cans go in your trash
Don't bring empty cans or cans of dried paint. The county says to put them in your household trash with the lids off so your hauler can see there's no liquid.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare also lists RP Lumber at 5225 E Maryland St in Decatur, plus stores in Warrensburg, Blue Mound, Clinton, Monticello and Taylorville; 5 gallons per visit, call first. At 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup. After October 24, solvents can go to Illinois EPA's Lockport collection (October 31, sign-up) or its long-term sites in Naperville, Rockford, Chicago, Lake County and Wood River (Madison County, by appointment).
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can, lid tight. For the county, load cans loose in the trunk and count them (20 containers). Keep thinner and spray cans in a separate box for October 24, away from passengers. Dry out latex dregs with kitty litter or sawdust before trashing.
Full preparation checklist →Decatur questions5
When can I drop paint at 151 W. Wood St.?
Only on collection days. The rest of 2026: Saturday, October 17, Saturday, November 14 and Saturday, December 12, 8 a.m. to noon.
Does the October 24 collection take latex?
No. Bring latex to Wood Street on a collection day or to a PaintCare store.
I'm a landlord. Can I use the county collection?
No. The county says it can't take paint from landlords, property managers or other businesses. Use a PaintCare store like Sherwin-Williams on North Water Street, 5 gallons per visit.
Do I have to live in Macon County?
For October 24, no: Illinois EPA says any Illinois resident can register. For Wood Street, the county's pages don't set a residency rule; PaintCare lists it for Illinois households.
What about spray paint?
Bring it to the October 24 collection. The county also says you can spray a household aerosol can empty into a cardboard box outdoors, let it dry, and put the can and box in your outdoor trash.
Sources and how we checked13
Checked October 13, 2026; no calls or visits. The county's paint page (updated 2025) says collections run April–September; its 2026 calendar shows Saturday dates through December. PaintCare lists weekday hours we didn't find on the county's site. The per-visit limit differs (20 containers vs. 25 gallons). Older news gave a North 21st Street address; the county now lists 151 W. Wood St. We didn't confirm store hours.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Macon County Environmental Management: paint ↗Macon County paint collection FAQ ↗Macon County paint and electronics collection, October 17 ↗Macon County paint and electronics collection, November 14 ↗Macon County paint and electronics collection, December 12 ↗Macon County household hazardous waste collection, October 24 ↗Macon County chemicals and household hazardous waste ↗Illinois EPA Decatur event page ↗Illinois EPA fall 2026 HHW announcement ↗Illinois EPA household hazardous waste collections ↗PaintCare Illinois ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
