Drop it off free
4 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.4 mi
- Kull Ace LumberPaint store0.9 mi
- RP LumberPaint store3.5 mi
Mattoon, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Mattoon.
NOW AVAILABLE IN MATTOON
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Mattoon8
Start with these
Kull Ace Lumber, Richmond Avenue, Mattoon (PaintCare drop-off)
1700 Richmond Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in the original labeled can, 5-gallon size or smaller. No aerosols, unlabeled cans or leaking cans.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and businesses (PaintCare listing).
- Hours
- Drop-off runs during regular store hours, PaintCare says. We didn't confirm the store's hours; call before you load the car.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons a visit.
- Fees
- Free to drop off paint.
Not a hazardous waste site. Thinner, mineral spirits and spray cans have to wait for a county or state collection.
Sherwin-Williams, Broadway Avenue, Mattoon (PaintCare drop-off)
1012 Broadway Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Accepts
- House paint, latex or oil-based, plus stain and varnish, in labeled original containers up to 5 gallons. Spray paint is not taken.
- Who can use it
- Homeowners, renters and businesses in Illinois, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare lists it for paint during business hours. Hours weren't checked; call to make sure there's room.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit.
- Fees
- None.
Closest of Mattoon's three PaintCare stores to downtown. The third is RP Lumber at 4888 Carter Ln, about 3.5 miles from the city center in a straight line.
Coles County household hazardous waste collection at Coles County Memorial Airport (October 3, 2026, already held)
432 Airport Road, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Accepts
- Illinois EPA's fall list: oil-based paint, thinner, chemical cleaners, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed and bug killers, and fluorescent lamps. Latex paint was not taken.
- Who can use it
- Illinois residents who signed up. No business waste.
- Hours
- This collection was held Saturday, October 3, 2026, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., with sign-up required. It was Coles County's stop on Illinois EPA's fall 2026 schedule. No later Coles County date was posted when we checked.
- Load limits
- No limit was published.
- Fees
- Free.
The phone is the Coles County Regional Planning & Development Commission, the local co-sponsor. Ask them whether a 2027 collection is planned. Don't leave anything at the airport.
Decatur one-day household hazardous waste collection at Progress City (Saturday, October 24, 2026)
East Sixth Progress Street, Decatur, IL 62521
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint, thinner, cleaners, antifreeze, motor oil, gas, kerosene, pesticides and fluorescent lamps, per Illinois EPA. No latex paint.
- Who can use it
- Illinois EPA says its fall events are open to every Illinois resident, so Coles County households can go. No business waste.
- Hours
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Sign up first; the link (signup.com) is on Illinois EPA's Decatur page.
- Load limits
- None published.
- Fees
- Free.
About 40 miles from Mattoon in a straight line. The phone is Macon County Environmental Management, the co-sponsor. Pack items in a box in the trunk and stay in the car.
4 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Mattoon.
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
0.4 mi1012 Broadway Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Kull Ace Lumber
0.9 mi1700 Richmond Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
3.5 mi4888 Carter Ln, Mattoon, IL 61938
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Charleston Ace Hardware
9.4 mi1320 East St, Charleston, IL 61920
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Graber Building Supply
14.3 mi111 W Springfield Rd, Arcola, IL 61910
- 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 Mattoon cleanout?4
You missed the October 3 airport collection
That was Coles County's stop on this fall's state schedule, and no later local date is posted. If you can drive to Decatur (about 40 miles in a straight line), sign up for Decatur's collection at Progress City on Saturday, October 24. Otherwise keep thinner and spray cans sealed in a cool spot and ask the Regional Planning & Development Commission about 2027.
You're an EIU student moving out of a Charleston rental
Charleston Ace Hardware at 1320 East St is on PaintCare's list, so you don't need to drive to Mattoon. Bring cans with labels, up to 5 gallons. Spray paint isn't taken there; keep it sealed for a hazardous waste collection.
You have 25 gallons from a farmhouse repaint
That's five store trips at 5 gallons each. You can spread them across Kull Ace, Sherwin-Williams and RP Lumber in Mattoon. Or take some to one of Macon County's paint days in Decatur; PaintCare lists that site for Illinois households, but call 217-425-4505 first.
You were saving paint for the city cleanup
Mattoon's April cleanup refused liquid waste and hazardous materials, WCIA reported. Paint cans go to a PaintCare store instead. Empty, dry cans aren't accepted by PaintCare stores either.
Mattoon rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to Kull Ace Lumber (1700 Richmond Ave) or Sherwin-Williams (1012 Broadway Ave) in Mattoon; both are free PaintCare drop-offs, 5 gallons per visit. Coles County's fall hazardous waste collection was held October 3, so take thinner and spray paint to Decatur's Illinois EPA collection on October 24 (sign-up required) or keep them sealed until Coles County posts a new date.
In Mattoon (Coles County, Illinois), leftover house paint goes free to one of three PaintCare stores in town: Kull Ace Lumber, Sherwin-Williams and RP Lumber. Coles County's fall hazardous waste collection was held October 3 at the Mattoon airport, so thinner and spray paint now go to Decatur or wait until Coles County posts a new date.
Three stores in Mattoon, one in Charleston
PaintCare lists Kull Ace Lumber (1700 Richmond Ave), Sherwin-Williams (1012 Broadway Ave) and RP Lumber (4888 Carter Ln) in Mattoon. Charleston residents and EIU renters can use Charleston Ace Hardware at 1320 East St. Each takes 5 gallons per visit.
Arcola, Tuscola and Effingham have stores too
Graber Building Supply takes paint in Arcola (111 W Springfield Rd) and Tuscola (407 E Southline Rd). Sherwin-Williams in Effingham (105 N Keller Dr) is the closest listed store to the south. Smaller towns like Lerna, Humboldt and Oakland have none, so Mattoon or Charleston is the nearest stop.
The airport collection already happened
Coles County's Illinois EPA collection was held Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Coles County Memorial Airport, 432 Airport Road. It took oil-based paint and thinner but not latex. The Coles County Regional Planning & Development Commission (217-348-0521) co-sponsored it; ask them about 2027.
City cleanup day isn't for paint
Mattoon's city-wide cleanup on April 11, 2026, at the yard waste site on Shelby Avenue and Logan Street, was for Mattoon residents only. It refused liquid waste and hazardous materials, according to WCIA's report of the city's notice. Don't plan on a cleanup day for paint cans.
Decatur is the nearest option for chemicals this fall
Illinois EPA's collection in Decatur on Saturday, October 24 is open to all Illinois residents who sign up. Separately, Macon County's recycling center at 151 W. Wood St. in Decatur holds Saturday paint and electronics days, such as November 14, 8 a.m.–noon. It takes household paint, stain and varnish in labeled original cans for free, but not spray paint. PaintCare lists the center for Illinois households, not businesses.
Free pickup programs and other options
RP Lumber at 4888 Carter Ln is Mattoon's third PaintCare store. Macon County's recycling center in Decatur (151 W. Wood St.) takes household paint free on collection days such as Saturday, November 14, 8 a.m.–noon. Macon County's page doesn't say you must live there, and PaintCare lists the site for Illinois households; call 217-425-4505 to make sure. PaintCare picks up 100 gallons or more for free.
Getting your paint ready
Leave paint in the original can with a readable label and a tight lid. Stores don't take spray paint, unlabeled cans or leaking cans. Keep thinner, solvent and spray cans in a separate box for a hazardous waste collection. For the Decatur event, pack the box in the trunk away from passengers.
Full preparation checklist →Mattoon questions5
Where can I recycle paint in Mattoon, IL?
Kull Ace Lumber (1700 Richmond Ave), Sherwin-Williams (1012 Broadway Ave) and RP Lumber (4888 Carter Ln) are on PaintCare's list. They take latex and oil-based paint free, 5 gallons per visit.
When is the next Coles County hazardous waste collection?
None is posted. The fall 2026 collection was held October 3 at the airport. Call the Coles County Regional Planning & Development Commission at 217-348-0521 to ask about 2027.
Can I take thinner to a paint store?
No. PaintCare stores take house paint, stain and varnish only. Thinner goes to a hazardous waste collection, like Decatur's on October 24.
Did the October 3 collection take latex paint?
No. Illinois EPA's fall collections didn't take latex. Latex goes to a PaintCare store.
Is there a fee?
No. PaintCare drop-offs and Illinois EPA collections are free.
Sources and how we checked10
Checked October 16, 2026; no calls or visits. Illinois EPA's release lists the Coles County collection on October 3, 2026, at 432 Airport Road; the event page has a signup.com link. We found no county or city page with a 2027 date. We couldn't confirm Mattoon's trash hauler or whether dried latex can go in household trash. The April 11 cleanup details come from a WCIA report. Macon County's event page doesn't say whether Coles County residents can use its paint days; PaintCare lists the Wood St. site for Illinois households (no businesses). Store hours weren't confirmed.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
PaintCare Illinois ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗Illinois EPA Mattoon event page ↗Illinois EPA fall 2026 HHW announcement ↗Illinois EPA Decatur event page ↗Illinois EPA household hazardous waste collections ↗WCIA on Mattoon's April 2026 city-wide cleanup ↗Macon County paint and electronics collection, November 14 ↗Illinois EPA: paint ↗
