Drop it off free
8 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store2.2 mi
- Keep Northern Illinois BeautifulPaint store2.9 mi
- JC Licht Paint & DecorPaint store4.2 mi
Rockford, IL Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Rockford.
NOW AVAILABLE IN ROCKFORD
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup From $89 for up to 5 gallons · Online booking coming soon
All drop-off locations in and near Rockford11
Start with these
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful — Rockford Recycle Center (PaintCare drop-off)
4665 Hydraulic Road, Rockford, IL 61109
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original containers of 5 gallons or less. No spray paint or other spray cans.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- Drop-off Tuesdays 2–5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.–noon. Closed most holidays, and when the forecast heat index is over 95 degrees or the wind chill is below zero.
- Load limits
- PaintCare lists 5 gallons per visit. Containers must be original and labeled, not leaking or empty.
- Fees
- Free for paint. KNIB charges for some other items, such as TVs and monitors.
This is a recycling and donation center, not a hazardous waste site: no thinner, solvents or other hazardous waste. Hours are short; on a very hot or very cold day, check the weather rule.
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful — Machesney Park Recycle Center (PaintCare drop-off)
8409 N. Second Street, Machesney Park, IL 61115
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original containers of 5 gallons or less. No spray paint or other spray cans.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- Drop-off Wednesdays 2–5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.–noon. Closed most holidays, and when the forecast heat index is over 95 degrees or the wind chill is below zero.
- Load limits
- PaintCare lists 5 gallons per visit. Original labeled containers only, none leaking or empty.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
Uses KNIB's main phone line. No hazardous waste, propane tanks or fire extinguishers.
City of Rockford Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Center
3315 Kishwaukee Street, Rockford, IL 61109
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint, lacquer, stain, varnish, paint remover and stripper, thinner, mineral spirits, turpentine, spray cans, craft paint and other household chemicals. No latex or other water-based paint.
- Who can use it
- Illinois households only. No business, farm or institution waste (such as schools, churches and nursing homes).
- Hours
- Saturdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sundays noon–4 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day and Christmas. Four Rivers Sanitation Authority says instead that the weekends closest to holidays are skipped, so check before a holiday weekend.
- Load limits
- Liquids must be in sealed containers of 5 gallons or less. We found no total paint limit. Tires have their own rule: four car tires per vehicle per day.
- Fees
- Free for Illinois residents.
Enter from Kishwaukee Street, follow the cones left and let staff unload; exit onto Martin Road. The site opened in December 2024 at the northwest corner of Martin Road and Kishwaukee Street, one block north of the old floodplain site. Call before bringing asbestos.
8 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Rockford.
8 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
2.2 mi4923 E State St, Rockford, IL 61108
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful
2.9 mi4665 Hydraulic Rd, Rockford, IL 61109
- Hours
- Tuesday 2 pm - 5 pm, Saturday 9 am-12 noon
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
JC Licht Paint & Decor
4.2 mi1459 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park, IL 61111
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
4.4 mi1506 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park, IL 61111
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
PPG Paint Store
5.8 mi2015 Harlem Rd, Loves Park, IL 61111
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful
5.9 mi8409 N 2nd St, Machesney Park, IL 61115
- Hours
- Wednesday 2 pm - 5 pm, Saturday 9 am - 12 noon
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit
Sherwin-Williams
6.1 mi7250 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park, IL 61111
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
RP Lumber
11.2 mi500 W Chrysler Dr, Belvidere, IL 61008
- 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 Rockford cleanout?4
You have both latex and oil-based cans
The quickest single stop is a KNIB center on Saturday morning: it takes latex and oil-based house paint, up to 5 gallons. Thinner, stripper and spray paint still go to Kishwaukee Street, open that Saturday until 4.
Your map app sends you to 3333 Kishwaukee or the old site
Four Rivers Sanitation Authority, which co-sponsors the program, lists 3333 Kishwaukee Street, and so does Illinois EPA's August 2026 notice. The city, KNIB and Illinois EPA's site page list 3315, with the entrance at Martin Road and Kishwaukee. Go to 3315, enter from Kishwaukee and leave on Martin Road.
It's a hot July Saturday
KNIB closes when the forecast heat index tops 95 degrees or, in winter, the wind chill drops below zero. Then take oil-based products to the hazardous waste center, and call a paint store from PaintCare's list for latex.
A landlord or painter is clearing out a job
Kishwaukee Street refuses business waste. Illinois businesses can bring oil-based paint and latex to PaintCare, unlike in most PaintCare states, but 5 gallons a visit is slow. At 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup. Other business chemicals go to a private company like those KNIB lists.
Rockford rules and tips4
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Latex: not the hazardous waste center. Take it to KNIB at 4665 Hydraulic Road (Tuesday 2–5, Saturday 9–noon) or 8409 N. Second Street, Machesney Park (Wednesday 2–5, Saturday 9–noon), 5 gallons per visit. Oil-based paint, thinner and spray cans: the free hazardous waste center at 3315 Kishwaukee Street, Saturdays 8–4 and Sundays noon–4.
Rockford has one of Illinois' few year-round hazardous waste sites, open weekends on Kishwaukee Street, but it no longer takes latex. For latex, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) runs two nonprofit PaintCare drop-offs that take both latex and oil-based house paint.
Sort your shelf by what's in the can
Kishwaukee Street takes oil-based paint, stain, lacquer, thinner, stripper and spray cans, but no latex or water-based paint. KNIB's two centers take labeled latex and oil-based house paint through PaintCare, but no spray cans or solvents. Sort before you leave.
Go to 3315 Kishwaukee, not an old address
The site moved in December 2024 to the northwest corner of Martin Road and Kishwaukee Street, one block north of the old floodplain site. Enter from Kishwaukee, follow the cones left for staff unloading, and leave by Martin Road. Some listings still say 3333 Kishwaukee; use 3315.
KNIB's hours are short and depend on the weather
Each KNIB center is open just two short windows a week. Both close most holidays, and when the forecast heat index tops 95 or the wind chill is below zero. Each visit is limited to 5 gallons.
The hazardous waste center is for Illinois households
Any Illinois resident can use Kishwaukee Street free. It refuses business, farm and institution waste (schools, churches, nursing homes). For business loads, KNIB lists private hazardous waste companies, including Clean Harbors and Heritage Environmental.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare lists several Rockford-area paint stores that take 5 gallons per visit during store hours; call first. At 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare about a free pickup.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can, lid tight. Box oil-based paint, thinner and spray cans for Kishwaukee Street apart from latex for KNIB. Liquids must be in containers of 5 gallons or less. At the hazardous waste site, stay in the car.
Full preparation checklist →Rockford questions5
Will the Kishwaukee Street site take my latex paint?
No. The city says it no longer takes latex there and points you to PaintCare drop-offs, including KNIB's two centers.
Is the hazardous waste center open on weekdays?
No. It's open Saturdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sundays noon–4 p.m., except listed holidays.
Can I bring spray paint to KNIB?
No. PaintCare sites don't take spray cans. Take them to Kishwaukee Street.
Can my contractor use the hazardous waste center?
No. It's for Illinois residents, not businesses. Under Illinois PaintCare rules, businesses can bring latex and oil-based house paint to PaintCare sites, 5 gallons per visit at KNIB.
Do I need to live in Rockford?
No. The city says the center is for Illinois residents; only the tire allowance is Rockford-only.
Sources and how we checked11
Checked October 6, 2026; no calls or visits. The 3315 vs. 3333 address conflict and the holiday wording difference are noted above. KNIB's PaintCare page had no readable text. We found no limit at the hazardous waste site beyond 5-gallon containers, and nothing on store bin space.
Checked October 6, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Rockford household hazardous waste disposal ↗KNIB hazardous waste directions and accepted list ↗KNIB recycle center hours and closures ↗KNIB what we take ↗Illinois EPA long-term collection locations ↗Four Rivers Sanitation Authority HHW notice ↗PaintCare Illinois ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare products ↗PaintCare business limits ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
