Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Northampton.
80 Locust Street, Northampton, MA 01060
Register with the city’s online form before Sunday, October 18, 2026. For a big load, email dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov for a cost estimate first.
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.
, Northampton, MA 01060
71 Strong St, Amherst, MA 01002
71 Strong St, Amherst, MA 01002
190 E Main, Westfield, MA 01085
86 Cumberland Rd, Greenfield, MA 01301
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Mix in a paint hardener and it should be dry in about a day. Then put the open can in the trash, or put the dry metal can on the scrap metal pile at the transfer station.
Register online by October 18 and bring them to Smith Vocational on October 31. It’s free up to 25 gallons or pounds.
Email dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov or call 413-587-1570 about joining Amherst’s event the same day at your own cost. Or drive to Veolia in Westfield, open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and pay by the pound.
Email dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov before you register. The city says the overage cost isn’t just based on weight, so ask for an estimate.
Register by Sunday, October 18 for Northampton’s once-a-year hazardous waste collection on Saturday, October 31, 2026, 9 a.m.–noon at Smith Vocational High School; it’s free up to 25 gallons or pounds. It takes oil-based paint, not latex. Dry latex with hardener or kitty litter and put it in the trash with the lid off.
Northampton holds one household hazardous waste collection a year. In 2026 it’s Saturday, October 31, at Smith Vocational High School, and you must register by October 18. It takes oil-based paint, not latex. Latex gets dried out and thrown away. Residents of Florence and Leeds use the same Northampton program.
Registration for the 2026 collection runs Monday, October 5 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, on the city’s online form. Space is limited, and you can't come without registering. The event is 9 a.m.–noon at Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street.
Northampton covers up to 25 gallons or pounds per registered household. Above that, you pay, in most cases $39–$90. For a big load, email dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov for an estimate.
The DPW’s paint sheet gives three options. Paint hardener takes about a day. Kitty litter or Speedi-Dri, mixed to thick oatmeal, takes 3–7 days. Small amounts can be poured into a sealed cardboard box on newspaper. Dry it somewhere warm (over 60°F), covered and out of reach of kids and pets.
Once the paint is completely dry, put the open can in your trash. The city says dry metal cans and lids can go on the scrap metal pile instead. Scrap metal at the Locust Street transfer station is included with a resident permit; see a gatekeeper first.
The ReCenter Swap Shop at 170 Glendale Road takes reusable household goods on the first and third Saturday mornings, April through October. Paint isn’t on its list of items it accepts, so give extra paint to a neighbor instead.
Massachusetts has no PaintCare program. If you miss October 31, the city lists two options: pay the full cost to join a neighboring town’s event (events still ahead on the 2026 list are West Springfield on October 10, Westhampton on October 17 and Amherst on October 31; contact Northampton first at 413-587-1570), or bring paint to Veolia’s paid center in Westfield, which also offers home pickup.
For the collection, keep oil-based paint and stain in labeled cans with tight lids, and bring your registration confirmation. Latex isn’t taken, so leave it home. Dry latex fully, not just a skin on top, before it goes in the trash with the lid off.
Full preparation checklist →Saturday, October 31, 2026, 9 a.m.–noon, at Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street. You must register between October 5 and October 18.
No. Dry it with hardener, kitty litter or Speedi-Dri, then put it in your trash with the lid off.
Free for up to 25 gallons or pounds per registered Northampton household. Over that, you pay, usually $39–$90.
Yes. The event is for residents of Florence, Leeds and Northampton.
Possibly. Some Northampton small businesses can join with a pre-approved cost-sharing agreement. Email dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov.
October 7, 2026: read Northampton’s hazardous waste page, the DPW’s latex paint sheet, its what-to-bring list, the 2026 Pioneer Valley reciprocal event schedule, the transfer station fee sheet (effective 7/1/25), the ReCenter page and its intake list, and Veolia’s pages. The city page gives the event date but not the place; the reciprocal schedule names Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street. The city page says registration closes Sunday, October 18; PaintCare’s locator data says October 19. We used the city date. Several reciprocal events (Chicopee, South Hadley, Agawam, Belchertown, Greenfield, Orange and Chicopee again on October 3) have passed. Peer review the same day re-read the city page (registration Monday, October 5 to Sunday, October 18), the reciprocal PDF (Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street, 9 a.m.–noon) and every sheet above; all matched. Not found: what Northampton charges a resident to join another town’s event.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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