Drop it off free
14 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- Johnson's Paint by Rings EndPaint store3.4 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store3.5 mi
- Cape Elizabeth Recycling CenterPaint store4.3 mi
Portland, ME Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Portland.
NOW AVAILABLE IN PORTLAND
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 Portland16
Start with these
Riverside Recycling household hazardous waste day
910 Riverside Street, Portland, ME 04103
- Accepts
- Oil, latex and enamel paint, stain, finishes, thinners, turpentine, strippers, solvents, glues and other household hazardous waste on Riverside's list.
- Who can use it
- Household waste from any Maine resident. No hazardous waste from businesses or towns.
- Hours
- First Saturday of each month, April–November, 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. The last 2026 day is Saturday, November 7. The yard is open Monday–Saturday, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., but takes hazardous waste only on those Saturdays.
- Load limits
- Portland ECard holders get 10 free gallons of hazardous waste a year, in up to two visits. PaintCare paint, stain and varnish don't count toward it. Containers up to 5 gallons, says PaintCare.
- Fees
- Paint, stain and varnish that PaintCare takes: free. Other hazardous waste without an ECard: $6.50 per gallon of liquid or $3.50 per pound of solids. No checks.
Check in at the attendant's booth, drop hazardous waste before other recycling, and stay in your vehicle. A holiday closure on the first Saturday usually cancels that month. PaintCare says 7 a.m.; Riverside says 7:30.
Maine Hardware, Saint John Street (PaintCare site)
274 Saint John Street, Portland, ME 04102
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based paint, primers, stain and varnish.
- Who can use it
- Maine households and businesses. Business oil-based paint must meet PaintCare's business rules.
- Hours
- Store hours. Phone ahead.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons a visit; containers up to 5 gallons.
- Fees
- Free.
Don't leave paint at the door after hours (Maine DEP asks this). No spray cans or unlabeled, leaking or empty containers.
14 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Portland.
13 paint stores and 1 hazardous waste site, 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 Maine
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.
Johnson's Paint by Rings End
3.4 mi153 Ocean St, South Portland, ME 04106
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
3.5 mi180 Waterman Dr, South Portland, ME 04106
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Cape Elizabeth Recycling Center
4.3 miDennison Dr, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Cape Elizabeth
- Hours
- Monday 10am-7pm, Wednesday 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-5pm, Saturday, 8am-5pm
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
- 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. This site will accept empty containers.
Maine Hardware
4.9 mi274 Saint John St, Portland, ME 04102
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
PPG Paints
5 mi973 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Eldredge Lumber and Hardware
5.3 mi145 Presumpscot St, Portland, ME 04103
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
7.5 mi166 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074
- Who
- Households and Businesses
Oak Hill Ace Hardware
8 mi29 Gorham Rd, Scarborough, ME 04074
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Show 6 more sites
Sherwin-Williams
8.1 mi100 Larrabee Rd, Westbrook, ME 04092
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Riverside Recycling Facility - HHW Facility
8.5 mi910 Riverside St, Portland, ME 04103
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Maine
- Hours
- April-November, 1st Saturday of month, 7am-1pm
- Products
- This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers.
Plummers Ace Hardware
9.6 mi30 Central St, Westbrook, ME 04092
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Dunstan Ace Hardware
11.2 mi636 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Johnsons Paint - A Rings End Brand
11.2 mi412 US Route 1, Yarmouth, ME 04096
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
11.3 mi438 Route 1, Yarmouth, ME 04096
- 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 Portland cleanout?4
Paint only, any weekday
Use a PaintCare store: Maine Hardware, Eldredge Lumber or PPG Paints, each with a 5-gallon limit per visit. Call first; Maine DEP asks you to check for room.
Paint plus solvents, pesticides and car fluids
Bring it all to Riverside on November 7. Paint is free. ECard holders get 10 free gallons of the rest; without one, liquids are $6.50 a gallon.
You rent in Portland
ECards go to property owners on city trash pickup, so renters usually pay Riverside's per-gallon rate for non-paint hazardous waste. Paint is still free.
You were going to bag dried latex for trash
ecomaine, which runs the area's trash-to-energy plant, won't take any paint and sends you to PaintCare. Use a PaintCare store or Riverside instead.
Portland rules and tips4
THE LOCAL ANSWER
For paint plus household chemicals, go to Riverside Recycling, 910 Riverside Street, Saturday, November 7, 2026, 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Paint is free; Portland ECard holders also get 10 free gallons of other hazardous waste a year. For paint only, PaintCare stores like Maine Hardware on Saint John Street take 5 gallons per visit during store hours.
Portland's hazardous waste site is Riverside Recycling, which takes it on first Saturdays, April to November. The last 2026 date is November 7. Other days, PaintCare hardware stores take house paint. ecomaine's trash plant takes no paint.
November 7 ends the 2026 season
Hazardous waste days are first Saturdays, April through November. With October 3 past, November 7 is the last of 2026. On other days the yard takes other items only.
Your ECard is for chemicals, not paint
One ECard per property, for owners on city curbside pickup. It covers 10 gallons of hazardous waste a year, in up to two visits. PaintCare paint, stain and varnish is free and doesn't count. Without an ECard, other hazardous waste is $6.50 a gallon or $3.50 a pound.
ecomaine won't burn or landfill paint
ecomaine won't take any paint and sends you to PaintCare. Don't bag even dried latex for the trash without checking that option.
PaintCare stores around town
Maine Hardware on Saint John Street, Eldredge Lumber on Presumpscot Street and PPG Paints on Congress Street. Each takes up to 5 gallons per visit.
Free pickup programs and other options
From December to April, take paint to PaintCare stores and save solvents and chemicals for Riverside's next season. Maine DEP also points to the Environmental Depot in Lewiston, open to any Maine resident for a fee. PaintCare does free pickups of 100 gallons or more.
Getting your paint ready
Use sturdy, leak-proof original containers, and don't mix products. At Riverside, stop at the attendant's booth, drop hazardous waste first, and stay in your vehicle. Bring your ECard if you have one. No checks.
Full preparation checklist →Portland questions5
Is Riverside's hazardous waste day open to people outside Portland?
Yes, for any Maine resident's household waste. Only the free ECard gallons are just for Portland property owners.
Do I pay for paint at Riverside?
No. Paint, stain and varnish that PaintCare takes are free and don't use your ECard gallons.
Can my contractor drop paint at Riverside?
No. Riverside takes no business hazardous waste. Contractors can use PaintCare stores within PaintCare's business rules.
What happens if a first Saturday is a holiday?
Riverside usually skips that month. November 7, 2026 isn't on its holiday list.
Can I bring paint from New Hampshire?
No. Maine DEP says people from other states shouldn't bring paint to Maine's program.
Sources and how we checked12
Reviewed Riverside Recycling's pages, Portland's ECard and hard-to-recycle pages, ecomaine, Maine DEP, and PaintCare's listings (October 6, 2026). PaintCare says 7 a.m.; Riverside says 7:30, which we use. Store hours and space, and whether renters can get an ECard, are unconfirmed.
Checked October 6, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Riverside Recycling hazardous waste days ↗Riverside Recycling hours and operator ↗Riverside Recycling 2026 holiday closures ↗City of Portland ECard program ↗City of Portland hard-to-recycle items ↗ecomaine hazardous and special waste disposal ↗Maine DEP architectural paint stewardship ↗Maine DEP household hazardous waste ↗PaintCare Maine ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare business limits ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
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