Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Iowa City.
3900 Hebl Ave SW, Iowa City, IA 52246
Pull through Lane 1 and park under the building overhang. Label everything and keep it upright in original containers. The free Swap Shop, entered to the left of the main landfill office door, is open the same hours and mostly holds paint, auto fluids and cleaners.
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.
3900 Hebl Ave SW, Iowa City, IA 52246
3369 Highway 6 Trl, Homestead, IA 52236
1000 S Houser St, Muscatine, IA 52761
1954 County Home Rd, Marion, IA 52302
7904 20th Ave, Blairstown, IA 52209
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Mix in kitty litter or shredded paper until it's like cottage cheese, then put the cans in the trash. No trip needed.
Bring up to 20 gallons per visit to Hebl Avenue, Thursday through Saturday. If you have more, plan a second trip on another open day.
Iowa City only takes material from inside the Kalona and Riverside city limits. Iowa DNR's list sends rural Washington County to the Linn County agency in Marion or its satellite, Rural Solid Waste & Recycle at 2170 Lexington Blvd. in Washington (319-653-6373). DNR's table also says Iowa City serves Washington County towns in general, but the City's page names only Kalona and Riverside, so call 319-356-5185 if you live in another town.
Call the landfill at 319-356-5185 first. It may close early on windy days.
Dry latex paint at home with kitty litter or shredded paper and put it in your regular trash. Bring oil-based paint, up to 20 gallons, to the free drop-off at 3900 Hebl Ave. SW on Thursday or Friday 7–2 or Saturday 7–noon. It's for Johnson County, Kalona and Riverside residents only.
In Iowa City, Iowa, the City runs a free hazardous material drop-off at the Iowa City Landfill on Hebl Avenue SW for all of Johnson County, plus Kalona and Riverside. It takes oil-based paint up to 20 gallons a visit, three days a week. The City says latex paint isn't hazardous and should be dried and put in your trash instead.
The Hazardous Material Collection Facility at 3900 Hebl Ave. SW is open to residents Thursday and Friday 7 a.m.–2 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.–noon. There's no appointment. Pull through Lane 1 and park under the overhang.
The City says to skip the landfill trip for latex. Thicken it to a cottage-cheese texture with shredded paper, kitty litter, wood chips or paint hardener, then put it in the regular trash.
Oil-based paint is free, but the facility takes 20 gallons per visit. Your cans stay there, so don't plan to get containers back.
The landfill may close early when it's windy to keep litter from blowing. It's also closed on City holidays. Call 319-356-5185 before you drive out on a gusty day.
Paint, auto fluids and cleaners that people bring in often end up in the free Swap Shop. Its door is to the left of the main landfill office door, and it's open the same hours as the drop-off.
Iowa has no PaintCare program, so stores don't take paint back. The City suggests buying only what you need (a paint calculator helps), mixing leftover light colors into primer, and giving extra paint to someone who can use it. Businesses, schools and non-profits register and book through Resource Management at 319-887-6112.
Read the label: “oil-based,” “flammable” or mineral spirits cleanup means it goes to Hebl Avenue. “Latex,” “acrylic” or soap and water cleanup means you can dry it. Label any unmarked cans, keep them upright, and never mix chemicals.
Full preparation checklist →Yes, once it's dried out or thickened. Mix in shredded paper, kitty litter, wood chips or paint hardener first.
Yes. It serves all of Johnson County plus the city limits of Kalona and Riverside. It takes nothing from outside that area.
Up to 20 gallons per visit, free for residents of the service area.
No. The landfill itself is open Monday–Saturday, but hazardous material drop-off is only Thursday and Friday 7–2 and Saturday 7–noon.
Businesses need an appointment and must make under 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month. Email jeckrich@iowa-city.org for the very small business packet or call 319-887-6112.
October 12, 2026: read the City of Iowa City's hazardous material page (hours, accepted items, 20-gallon oil-based limit, latex drying rule, Swap Shop, business program) and its landfill page (windy-day and holiday closures, 319-356-5185) in a browser, since automated fetches were blocked; also Iowa DNR's latex fact sheet and regional collection center pages and PaintCare's locator (non-program site). An older City flyer and a 2019 news item gave Saturday hours to 2 p.m.; the current City page says noon, which we used. Iowa DNR's table lists Iowa City for Washington County's incorporated towns, but the City names only Kalona and Riverside, which we followed. No Iowa City paint collection events were found for 2026. We did not find a current official paint policy for the local Habitat ReStore.
Checked October 12, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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