Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Bloomington.
3400 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47401
PaintCare's listing still shows older latex prices ($2, $5 and $20). The district's own page shows the higher ones. The site is paved, and a Bloomington Transit stop is on W Gordon Pike.
Your state doesn’t have a PaintCare program, so stores here don’t take paint for free. These are the public drop-off programs PaintCare’s map lists, closest first. Most only serve their own residents and some charge a fee. Call before you go.
3400 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47401
3326 Mitchell Rd, Bedford, IN 47421
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Donate them at South Walnut for free. Staff will put good latex on the Paint & Materials Exchange shelves for other residents.
South Walnut takes it, but charges per container: $2.25 a quart, $7.00 a gallon, $36.00 a 5-gallon pail.
The district’s Ellettsville and New Unionville sites take things like motor oil and batteries, but paint is handled at South Walnut. Drive there, Tuesday through Saturday.
Check the free Exchange shelves in the hazardous waste building before buying. It’s for Monroe County residents using it at home.
The district handles business hazardous waste only by arrangement, for a fee. Call 812-349-2020 before you load up.
Take all paint to the Monroe County district’s South Walnut site, 3400 S Walnut St (Tuesday–Saturday, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.). Oil-based paint and stain are free for county residents, and good latex is free to donate. Latex that can’t be reused is $2.25 a quart, $7 a gallon or $36 a 5-gallon bucket.
In Bloomington, Indiana, all paint goes to the Waste Reduction District of Monroe County’s South Walnut site at 3400 S Walnut St. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday. Oil-based paint and stain are free for Monroe County residents. Good latex is free to donate, and staff put it on a free-to-take shelf. Latex that can’t be reused costs a fee per can.
The district has five drop-off sites. Paint is listed with its hazardous materials facility at South Walnut, and spray paint and household chemicals are taken only there. Ellettsville, Northeast (New Unionville), Westside (N Oard Rd) and Southside (W Dillman Rd) take things like motor oil and small batteries.
If latex is still usable, donating it costs nothing. Staff check it and put it in the Paint & Materials Exchange inside the hazardous waste building.
Latex that can’t be reused costs $2.25 for a quart or smaller, $7.00 for a gallon or smaller and $36.00 for a 5-gallon bucket. A half-empty gallon costs the same as a full one.
Monroe County residents can take paint, stain and cleaners from the Exchange shelves for their own homes and projects at no cost. The district’s reuse program line is 812-349-2022.
City of Bloomington Utilities lists paint and paint thinner as household hazardous waste. It says not to put them in the trash, down the sink or in storm drains. It sends residents to South Walnut.
Indiana has no PaintCare program, so stores don’t take paint back for free. Check the Paint & Materials Exchange before buying small amounts. Hoosier Disposal runs a separate waste drop at 6660 South Hwy 37; the district doesn’t say whether it takes paint, so call 812-824-7998 first.
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid tight. Sort good latex from spoiled latex before you go; donated cans are free and spoiled ones are charged. The district doesn’t say what proof of address it checks, so bring an ID with your Monroe County address.
Full preparation checklist →Yes, for Monroe County residents. Oil-based paint, spray paint, stain, lacquer and varnish are free at 3400 S Walnut St.
Usable latex is free to donate. Latex that can’t be reused costs $2.25 per quart, $7.00 per gallon and $36.00 per 5-gallon container.
The City of Bloomington lists paint as hazardous waste and says not to put it in the trash. Use South Walnut instead.
Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It’s closed Sunday and Monday.
Call the district first. Businesses, schools, churches and nonprofits must contact the office, and fees apply.
October 7, 2026: read the Waste Reduction District of Monroe County’s household hazardous waste, locations, FAQ and contact pages, the City of Bloomington Utilities household hazardous waste page, and the PaintCare locator data for South Walnut. The district’s latex prices ($2.25, $7.00, $36.00) are higher than PaintCare’s listing ($2, $5, $20); the district’s own page is used. The business rule (businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits call the office; fees apply) comes from PaintCare’s listing, not the district page. Peer review the same day: the district page doesn’t say in so many words that only South Walnut takes paint, but it lists paint under the South Walnut facility and takes spray paint and chemicals only there, and the city page lists only batteries and motor oil for the other sites; wording was adjusted. Search results quote an older Bloomington sanitation guide banning paint in carts, but that PDF is no longer online. Not found: a published proof-of-residency rule, any gallon limit, the business fee schedule, whether Hoosier Disposal takes paint, and whether the Monroe County Habitat ReStore takes paint.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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