Drop it off free
2 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.3 mi
- RP LumberPaint store1.3 mi
- RP LumberPaint store13.8 mi
Ottawa, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Ottawa.
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Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Ottawa6
Start with these
Sherwin-Williams, Columbus Street, Ottawa (PaintCare drop-off)
2744 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish, in the original labeled can, up to 5-gallon size. No spray paint and no leaking or empty cans.
- Who can use it
- Illinois homeowners, renters and businesses, per PaintCare.
- Hours
- Paint goes in during the store's normal hours, according to PaintCare. We didn't check those hours. Call first.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per trip.
- Fees
- No charge.
RP Lumber, also on Columbus St (2758) and on PaintCare's list, is a second option on the same trip if this store is full. Neither store takes thinner or solvents.
RP Lumber, Columbus Street, Ottawa (PaintCare drop-off)
2758 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350
- Accepts
- House paint (latex or oil-based), stain and varnish in labeled original containers up to 5 gallons. Spray cans, unlabeled cans and leaking cans are turned away.
- Who can use it
- Households and businesses in Illinois, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare lists drop-off during store hours. Store hours weren't checked for this guide; phone ahead.
- Load limits
- Up to 5 gallons each visit.
- Fees
- Free.
It's on the same street as the Sherwin-Williams at 2744 Columbus St. Ask staff where paint goes before you carry cans in.
Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Facility (closest year-round site to Ottawa)
156 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville, IL 60540
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint and stain, spray cans that still have product in them, thinner, solvents and other household chemicals. No latex paint and no empty spray cans.
- Who can use it
- Naperville says it is open to all Illinois residents, so LaSalle County households can use it. No business waste.
- Hours
- Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Naperville lists 2026 closures for Easter Sunday, Independence Day and the day after Christmas.
- Load limits
- Up to two of the site's rolling carts (44 x 25 inches) per household.
- Fees
- Free. No appointment.
It's about 44 miles from Ottawa in a straight line, so it makes sense for a full box of thinner and oil-based cans, not one can. It sits just north of Naperville Public Works.
Lockport one-day household hazardous waste collection (Saturday, October 31, 2026)
18101 West Oak Avenue, Lockport, IL 60441
- Accepts
- Illinois EPA's list for its fall events: oil-based paint, thinner, chemical cleaners, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed and bug killers, and fluorescent lamps. No latex paint.
- Who can use it
- Any Illinois resident with a sign-up. No business or farm chemicals.
- Hours
- Saturday, October 31, 2026, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., at Shiloh Baptist Church. You must sign up for a time first.
- Load limits
- Illinois EPA doesn't publish a limit.
- Fees
- Free.
This is the Illinois EPA fall event closest to LaSalle County that hadn't happened yet when we checked. The sign-up link (SignUpGenius) is on Illinois EPA's Lockport page. The phone is State Representative Dagmara Avelar's office, the local co-sponsor. Stay in your car; workers unload.
2 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Ottawa.
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
1.3 mi2744 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
1.3 mi2758 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
13.8 mi2515 N Bloomington St, Streator, IL 61364
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
15.6 mi1400 Midtown Rd #A, Peru, IL 61354
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Narvick Brothers Home & Hardware
19.3 mi1577 US-6, Morris, IL 60450
- 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 Ottawa cleanout?4
You're cleaning out a basement in Marseilles
There's no PaintCare store in Marseilles. Drive to Ottawa's Columbus Street stores, about 9 miles west in a straight line, and split a big load between Sherwin-Williams and RP Lumber at 5 gallons each. Morris is the other way, with three listed stores.
You have a box of thinner and old oil-based stain
PaintCare stores take the oil-based stain but not thinner. LaSalle County has no collection scheduled, so go to Naperville's site on a Saturday or Sunday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. It's free for Illinois residents with no appointment. Or sign up for Illinois EPA's Lockport event on October 31.
A rental turnover left 60 gallons
At 5 gallons a visit, local stores would take a dozen trips. GreenSheen Paint in Crest Hill, about 39 miles east in a straight line, lists 200 gallons per visit on weekdays; call ahead. If you can stockpile 100 gallons or more, PaintCare will pick it up for free.
You were waiting for the county's next hazardous waste day
Don't hold paint for it. LaSalle County's last hazardous waste day we found was back in May 2022, and the county says it can't host one every year. Its fall 2026 events are for tires and electronics. Paint goes to a PaintCare store now; chemicals go to Naperville or Rockford.
Ottawa rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take latex or oil-based house paint, stain and varnish to Sherwin-Williams (2744 Columbus St) or RP Lumber (2758 Columbus St) in Ottawa; both are free PaintCare drop-offs, 5 gallons per visit. LaSalle County has no hazardous waste site, so thinner and spray paint go to Naperville's free weekend site (156 Fort Hill Dr) or an Illinois EPA collection.
In Ottawa, Illinois (LaSalle County seat), leftover house paint goes free to the two PaintCare stores on Columbus Street: Sherwin-Williams and RP Lumber. LaSalle County has no year-round hazardous waste site and says it can't hold a collection every year, so thinner and spray paint mean a drive to Naperville or a state event.
Two stores, one stop on Columbus Street
Sherwin-Williams (2744 Columbus St) and RP Lumber (2758 Columbus St) are on the same street. Each takes 5 gallons per trip, so you can split a 10-gallon load between them in one outing. Call both first.
Marseilles, Utica and Grand Ridge come here too
PaintCare lists no drop-off in Marseilles, Utica, Naplate or Grand Ridge. Ottawa's two stores are the closest for them. To the south, Streator has RP Lumber at 2515 N Bloomington St. To the west, Peru has Sherwin-Williams at 1400 Midtown Rd and Mendota has RP Lumber at 600 8th St.
Don't wait for a county collection
LaSalle County's recycling page says it holds hazardous waste, tire and electronics events only from time to time and can't host them every year because of their size. The last county hazardous waste day we found was back on May 21, 2022, at the Government Center on East Etna Road (from a 2022 Shaw Local news story). The county's fall 2026 events are a tire collection (sign-ups are full) and an electronics recycling day. Neither is for paint.
Thinner and oil-based cans: Naperville is the year-round answer
The county points residents to Naperville's site at 156 Fort Hill Drive, open weekends 9 a.m.–2 p.m., free to any Illinois resident. It takes oil-based paint, spray cans and thinner but not latex. Rockford is the other site the county names.
Make sure you're on the Illinois page
Ottawa, Kansas, and Ottawa, Ontario, have their own rules. This page covers Ottawa in LaSalle County, Illinois (ZIP 61350).
Free pickup programs and other options
Besides Columbus Street, PaintCare lists stores in Streator, Peru, Mendota and three in Morris (Sherwin-Williams, Whitmore Ace and Narvick Brothers), each 5 gallons a visit. Bigger loads: GreenSheen Paint in Crest Hill takes up to 200 gallons a visit (weekdays; call ahead), and PaintCare picks up 100 gallons or more for free. Thinner and spray paint: Naperville's weekend site, or the Illinois EPA collection in Lockport on Saturday, October 31 (sign-up required).
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original can with the label showing and the lid tight. Stores turn away spray cans, unlabeled cans and leaking cans. Box up thinner, mineral spirits and oil-based cans separately for Naperville or an Illinois EPA event, and keep them in the trunk away from passengers.
Full preparation checklist →Ottawa questions5
Where can I drop off paint in Ottawa, IL?
At Sherwin-Williams, 2744 Columbus St, or RP Lumber, 2758 Columbus St. Both are on PaintCare's list and take latex and oil-based paint for free, 5 gallons per visit.
Does LaSalle County have a hazardous waste drop-off?
No. The county says it can't hold collections every year and lists Naperville and Rockford as the year-round sites. It doesn't name a 2026 hazardous waste date.
Can I bring paint to the LaSalle County tire or electronics events?
No. Those county events take tires or electronics only. Use a PaintCare store for paint.
Will the Habitat ReStore in Peru take my leftover paint?
Paint isn't on the Peru ReStore's list of accepted donations. Call 815-434-2041 before you bring any. For recycling, use a PaintCare store.
Is it free?
Yes. PaintCare drop-offs are free. The program is paid for by a fee on new paint sold in Illinois.
Sources and how we checked12
Checked October 16, 2026; no calls or visits. LaSalle County's recycling and Land Use pages list no 2026 hazardous waste collection; the last one we found was the old May 21, 2022 event (Shaw Local). The county's Land Use page lists a tire event (full) and an electronics day this fall, not hazardous waste. Illinois EPA's fall 2026 schedule has no LaSalle County stop. We couldn't find a City of Ottawa page on garbage, haulers or dried latex paint, so we don't say whether dried cans can go in Ottawa trash. The Peru ReStore's donation list doesn't mention paint. 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 ↗LaSalle County: recycling ↗LaSalle County Land Use Department ↗Shaw Local on LaSalle County's 2022 hazardous waste collection ↗Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Facility ↗Illinois EPA fall 2026 HHW announcement ↗Illinois EPA Lockport event page ↗Illinois EPA household hazardous waste collections ↗Habitat ReStore LBPC (Peru): donating ↗Illinois EPA: paint ↗
