Drop it off free
2 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.8 mi
- RP LumberPaint store4.4 mi
- Niemann Ace HardwarePaint store26.8 mi
Galesburg, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Galesburg.
NOW AVAILABLE IN GALESBURG
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Galesburg5
Start with these
Sherwin-Williams, Galesburg (PaintCare drop-off)
2246 Promenade Ct, Galesburg, IL 61401
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses in Illinois, per PaintCare's listing.
- Hours
- PaintCare's listing says paint is taken during regular store hours. Call ahead to check hours and whether the store can take your amount and type of paint.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit. No spray paint or other aerosols, no containers without their original labels, and no leaking or empty containers.
- Fees
- Free.
All details come from PaintCare's locator; the store's own page does not describe the program. Store hours are not a promise that paint will be taken that day.
RP Lumber, Galesburg (PaintCare drop-off)
723 US Hwy 150 E, Galesburg, IL 61401
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses in Illinois, per PaintCare's listing.
- Hours
- PaintCare's listing says paint is taken during regular business hours. Call ahead to check hours and space.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit. No aerosols, no unlabeled containers, and no leaking or empty containers.
- Fees
- Free.
All details come from PaintCare's locator. Call before loading a truck so you know the store has room.
Galesburg household hazardous waste home pickup (WM At Your Door Special Collection)
Home pickup at your door in Galesburg, IL 61401; there is no drop-off site
- Accepts
- Paint products: latex and oil-based paint, spray paint, paint thinner, stripper, artist paint, stain, wood preservative, caulk and sealer. Also household and garden chemicals, automotive fluids, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mercury thermometers and thermostats, gasoline, kerosene and solvents, pool chemicals and electronics. Sharps are listed too, but the brochure says sharps pickup is for select areas only.
- Who can use it
- Galesburg residential refuse customers only. Refuse service starts when you open a city water account.
- Hours
- Request a pickup any time of year at wmatyourdoor.com, by phone 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or by email at ATYOURDOOR@WM.com. WM mails a collection kit. On your pickup date, set items out before 7 a.m. at your front door or garage door. The 2026 brochure says collection is available on weekdays.
- Load limits
- The 2026 brochure says WM can't collect ammunition, EV batteries, explosives, asbestos, tires, or anything in unlabeled or leaking containers, and that "restrictions apply" (details at wmatyourdoor.com). No amount limit is printed on the city's pages.
- Fees
- No extra charge is listed. The city says it is part of the regular residential refuse, recycling and yard waste program, and you don't need to sign up first.
Follow the instructions in the kit. Since January 1, 2024, the WM office at 1360 S Henderson St. no longer takes electronics; the city points people to this home pickup instead.
2 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Galesburg.
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
1.8 mi2246 Promenade Ct, Galesburg, IL 61401
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
4.4 mi723 US Hwy 150 E, Galesburg, IL 61401
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Niemann Ace Hardware
26.8 mi1050 E Fort St, Farmington, IL 61531
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Orion True Value
27.9 mi507 11th Ave, Orion, IL 61273
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
32.3 mi411 N Main St, Canton, IL 61520
- 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 Galesburg cleanout?4
You have three gallons of leftover wall paint
Take them to Sherwin-Williams on Promenade Ct. or RP Lumber on US Hwy 150 E in their labeled cans. Call first to make sure the store has room.
You have spray paint, stripper and old thinner too
The stores won't take those. If you have Galesburg trash service, request a WM At Your Door kit and set everything out on your pickup date.
You live in rural Knox County
At Your Door is only for city customers. Use the PaintCare stores for house paint. For chemicals, there's no Knox County stop on Illinois EPA's fall 2026 list, so store them safely for now.
You're a landlord with 120 gallons from turnovers
That's over PaintCare's 100-gallon mark, so request a free large volume pickup instead of making many 5-gallon store trips.
Galesburg rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to Sherwin-Williams (2246 Promenade Ct.) or RP Lumber (723 US Hwy 150 E) in Galesburg; both are free PaintCare drop-offs, 5 gallons per visit. For spray paint, thinner and other chemicals, Galesburg trash customers can book WM's At Your Door home pickup at 1-800-449-7587.
In Galesburg, Illinois (Knox County), you have two free ways to get rid of paint. Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to a PaintCare drop-off store such as Sherwin-Williams on Promenade Ct. or RP Lumber on US Hwy 150 E, up to 5 gallons per visit. Or, if you have city trash service, ask WM's At Your Door program to pick up paint, spray paint and other chemicals at your home. Knox County has no Illinois EPA collection day on the fall 2026 list.
Two PaintCare stores in town
PaintCare lists Sherwin-Williams (2246 Promenade Ct., 309-344-3942) and RP Lumber (723 US Hwy 150 E, 309-289-4112). Both take latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, 5 gallons per visit, in containers up to 5 gallons. Call ahead; the store may not have room for a big load.
Home pickup comes with city trash service
Galesburg residential refuse customers can use WM's At Your Door Special Collection at no added charge. Request it at wmatyourdoor.com or 1-800-449-7587 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). WM mails you a kit, and you set items by your front or garage door before 7 a.m. on pickup day. It takes what the stores won't: spray paint, thinner, stripper and other chemicals.
Not in the recycling or the bulk pickup
The city's 2026 brochure says no flammables, hazardous waste, food or liquids in recycling. WM's free Tuesday bulk pickup is for big items like sofas and appliances, one a month, booked 48 hours ahead at 309-343-0256. Use the stores or At Your Door for paint instead.
Don't set paint out in a cardboard box
Galesburg won't pick up refuse in an intact cardboard box. Anything extra must be in a container of 33 gallons or less weighing under 50 pounds, and loose bags are refused. City pages don't say whether dried latex can go in the cart, so the stores and At Your Door are the safer choices.
No state collection day nearby this fall
Illinois EPA's fall 2026 list has no stop in Knox County. The stop at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds in East Moline was on October 10 and is over. The last three stops on that list are Springfield (October 17), Decatur (set for October 24) and Lockport (set for October 31). Every fall stop requires pre-registration and refuses latex, so don't plan around them.
Free pickup programs and other options
If you live in Knox County outside Galesburg city limits, At Your Door isn't for you, but the two PaintCare stores are open to any Illinois household or business. For 100 gallons or more of house paint, PaintCare offers a free large volume pickup. We found no Knox County drop-off for spray paint and thinner from outside the city; keep them sealed and watch Illinois EPA's collection page for 2027 dates.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original, labeled can with the lid on tight; the stores refuse unlabeled, leaking or empty containers and all aerosols, and WM won't collect unlabeled or leaking containers either. Bring no more than 5 gallons per store visit. For At Your Door, wait for the kit and follow its packing instructions, then set it out before 7 a.m. on your pickup day.
Full preparation checklist →Galesburg questions5
Where can I recycle paint in Galesburg?
PaintCare lists Sherwin-Williams on Promenade Ct. and RP Lumber on US Hwy 150 E. Both take latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish free, up to 5 gallons per visit.
How do I get rid of spray paint and paint thinner in Galesburg?
If you have city trash service, schedule WM's At Your Door pickup at wmatyourdoor.com or 1-800-449-7587. The PaintCare stores don't take aerosols or thinner.
Does At Your Door cost extra?
The city says it's part of the regular residential refuse program, and you don't need to sign up in advance. It's for Galesburg residents only.
Is there a hazardous waste collection day in Knox County?
Not on Illinois EPA's fall 2026 list. The East Moline stop at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds was on October 10 and is over.
Can a painting contractor use the Galesburg stores?
Yes. PaintCare lists both stores for Illinois households and businesses, within the 5-gallon-per-visit limit. For 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a large volume pickup.
Sources and how we checked8
October 17, 2026: re-checked by curl the City of Galesburg's garbage services and special refuse programs pages and its 2026 waste and recycling brochure (PDF), Illinois EPA's household hazardous waste collections page, Decatur event page and its August 13, 2026 fall collection release (PDF), and PaintCare's large volume pickup page. Store details come only from PaintCare's locator (records 17316 and 17264, checked against PaintCare's live data on October 17); the stores' own pages weren't used. We found no Knox County hazardous waste program or Illinois EPA stop in Knox County for 2026, and no Galesburg ReStore paint policy. Not resolved: whether city carts take dried latex, At Your Door amount limits (the brochure says "restrictions apply"), and 2027 Illinois EPA dates. No calls or visits.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Galesburg: garbage services ↗City of Galesburg: special refuse programs (WM At Your Door) ↗City of Galesburg: 2026 waste and recycling service brochure (PDF) ↗Illinois EPA: fall 2026 household hazardous waste collections (news release, PDF) ↗Illinois EPA: household hazardous waste collections ↗Illinois EPA: Decatur collection, October 24, 2026 ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare: large volume pickups (100+ gallons) ↗
