Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in South Bend.
828 Kerr St, South Bend, IN 46601
The county also lists a styrofoam drop and free document shredding here. It does not take medicines, sharps, building materials or refrigerators.
1105 E 5th St, Mishawaka, IN 46544
Mishawaka's city page lists 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m. and old season dates from 2022–2023. Call 574-235-9971 to check it's open, especially late in the fall.
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.
828 Kerr St, South Bend, IN 46601
1105 E Fifth St., Mishawaka, IN 46544
26861 County Rd 7, Elkhart, IN 46517
250 South St, Lawrence, MI 49064
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Take it to Kerr Street. South Bend doesn’t allow paint in trash bins, even latex.
The E 5th St site is closer, but it’s seasonal. If it’s closed, Kerr Street in South Bend is open all year.
All of them go to the same county sites. Keep each product in its labeled container. Don’t bring 55-gallon drums.
The household sites are for residents. Ask the Solid Waste Management District about business rates at 574-235-9971.
Take all paint, including latex, to the St. Joseph County Household Hazardous Waste Center at 828 Kerr Street (Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–noon). It’s free for county residents for now, and paint isn’t allowed in South Bend trash bins. It’s closed October 12 and November 3, 2026.
In South Bend, Indiana, take paint to the St. Joseph County Household Hazardous Waste Center at 828 Kerr Street. It’s open six days a week, all year, and the county says it’s free for St. Joseph County residents for now. The city doesn’t allow paint of any kind in its trash bins. A second county site in Mishawaka is open only part of the year.
South Bend’s trash rules say no paints, chemicals or other hazardous materials in bins or bulk pickups. Hazardous waste goes to Kerr Street instead.
828 Kerr St is open Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–noon. It’s closed October 12, 2026 and November 3, 2026 (Election Day).
The county’s second site at 1105 E 5th St in Mishawaka is open Tuesday–Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m., in season. The county says only Kerr Street is open all year. Call 574-235-9971 before a late-fall trip.
The county takes paints, stains, finishing oils, thinners and spray paint. It won’t take 55-gallon drums, building materials, medicines or sharps.
County residents can drop electronics and styrofoam at Kerr Street during regular hours. There are also locked bins for free document shredding.
Indiana has no PaintCare program, so stores don’t take paint back for free. Give usable cans to a neighbor or community group. Businesses get rates and drop-off arrangements from the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Management District.
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid on tight. Pack cans upright in a box. Bring proof that you live in St. Joseph County.
Full preparation checklist →The City of South Bend says no paints in trash bins. Take latex to 828 Kerr Street with your other paint.
Yes, for now. The county says household hazardous waste services are free but this may change, and it collects a $4.50 hazardous waste fee on property tax bills. The City of South Bend also says it’s free for city residents.
Yes, Kerr Street is open Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. The Mishawaka site is open Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in season.
Yes. Both sites serve all St. Joseph County residents, and the county says the service is free for now.
The county hazardous waste center at 574-235-9971, or South Bend 311 at 574-233-0311.
October 7, 2026: read the City of South Bend solid waste page, the St. Joseph County household hazardous waste, accepted and unaccepted materials, district and fees pages, Mishawaka’s Environmental Center page, the Indiana Household Hazardous Waste Task Force district listing and the PaintCare locator data. Peer review the same day found the district’s fees page: “Currently Household Hazardous Waste services are free, however, this is subject to change,” with a $4.50 hazardous waste fee collected on property tax bills. That settles the earlier question about residents outside South Bend city limits. Conflict: PaintCare’s listing says latex can be dried and put in the trash, but the City of South Bend says no paints in trash bins; this guide follows the city (county residents outside the city should ask their own hauler). The county’s September 5 and 7, 2026 closures have passed. The county’s own pages no longer call Mishawaka seasonal in so many words; they say the South Bend site is open all year, and PaintCare’s listing calls Mishawaka seasonal. Not found: the 2026 Mishawaka season dates (Mishawaka’s page still shows 2022–2023 dates), a paint gallon limit, the business rate sheet, and whether the local Habitat ReStore takes paint.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
