Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Battle Creek.
1392 Capital Ave NE, Battle Creek, MI 49017
The 2026 Battle Creek stop used the Bailey Park lot south of C.O. Brown Stadium, entered on Wagoner Drive. The street address is Bailey Park's address from Battle Creek Parks and Recreation; the county's page gives no street number. The county asks you to stay in your vehicle. PaintCare's listing adds: label anything not in its original container, and expect a short wait if you want your gas can back. The next Battle Creek stop may be at a different site, so check the county's events page.
1301 Lamont Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048
The center is on the northwest corner of the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, on the same street as the Sheriff's Office. Its page shows ZIP 49048 in one place and 49007 in another.
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.
1350 Capital Ave NE, Battle Creek, MI 49017
1301 Lamont Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048
1215 N Broadway, Hastings, MI 49058
316 E Charlotte St, Centreville, MI 49032
3255 122nd Ave Ste 200, Allegan, MI 49010
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
There is no Calhoun County collection before 2027. Call Kalamazoo County at 269-383-8742 for the fee, then take it to 1301 Lamont Ave. during open hours.
Keep the cans sealed and dry. Check the county's events page in early 2027; in 2026 the Battle Creek stop was a Monday afternoon in late April at Bailey Park.
Leave the lids off, or mix in cat litter or sawdust until solid. Calhoun County says dried latex can go in regular trash. Battle Creek's page says no paint in city carts, so check with Republic first.
Don't put them in the recycling cart. Battle Creek says to save aerosol cans for a county hazardous waste collection.
Hold oil-based paint for Calhoun County's next free household hazardous waste collection; all 2026 dates, including Battle Creek's April 27 stop at Bailey Park, have passed. If you can't wait, Kalamazoo County's center at 1301 Lamont Ave. takes it for a fee from Calhoun County residents. Latex is never taken at county events; dry it out, and ask Republic Services before putting it in a city cart.
In Battle Creek, Michigan, oil-based paint goes to Calhoun County's one-day household hazardous waste collections. In 2026 the Battle Creek stop was April 27 at Bailey Park, and the last county collection was September 14 in Marshall. All 2026 collections are over. Until 2027 dates are posted, the only staffed option is Kalamazoo County's center, which charges Calhoun County residents a fee. Latex paint is never taken at the county events; dry it out first. Michigan has no paint take-back program.
Calhoun County ran three household hazardous waste collections in 2026: April 27 at Bailey Park in Battle Creek, May 18 at Ketchum Field in Albion, and September 14 at the Fairgrounds in Marshall. All have passed and no more are listed. Keep oil-based paint sealed and watch the county's events page for 2027 dates.
Calhoun County's recycling guide lists the Kalamazoo County center at 1301 Lamont Ave. for oil-based paint. Calhoun County is not one of Kalamazoo's free partner areas, so you pay a fee plus disposal cost by check or card. Call 269-383-8742 for a price before you drive over.
Calhoun County's FAQ says latex that has dried out can go in regular trash with the lid off. The City of Battle Creek's garbage page says not to put paints in its Republic Services carts at all. If you are on city trash service, ask Republic (269-216-8008) before setting out a dried can.
Battle Creek's garbage page says hazardous waste is never taken in city carts, only at county collections. The city's spring and fall cleanups refuse chemicals, paints and solvents. Aerosol cans don't go in the recycling cart either; the city says to save them for a hazardous waste collection.
The county's recycling guide lists ePaint Recycling, 551 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek (269-760-8143), as a latex-only recycler that is not taking drop-offs. Call if you have a large amount of good latex. The same guide also lists a "Paint Recycling Service" at 269-224-2814, with no other details.
Usable paint can be given away: Calhoun County suggests theater, civic, charity and art groups. Michigan EGLE notes that oil-based paint and stains often contain toxic solvents. Calhoun County lists pouring them down the drain, on the ground or into storm sewers as improper disposal. Calhoun County's free C&C Landfill recycling center in Marshall takes recycling only, and its passes are not issued to City of Battle Creek residents. Kalamazoo County's center takes oil-based paint year-round from Calhoun County residents for a fee.
Check the label: "latex," "acrylic" or "cleans up with soap and water" means latex; "alkyd," "oil-based" or "mineral spirits" means oil-based. For latex, leave the lid off in a dry, airy spot away from kids and pets, stir it now and then, or mix in an equal amount of cat litter or sawdust. For oil-based paint, keep the lid tight and label anything not in its original can before a collection.
Full preparation checklist →None is scheduled for the rest of 2026. The 2026 Battle Creek collection was April 27 at Bailey Park, and the last county collection was September 14 in Marshall. Watch Calhoun County's events page for 2027 dates.
No. The county takes oil-based paint only. Dry latex out first.
Yes, but not for free. Calhoun County is not a Kalamazoo partner area, so you pay a fee plus disposal cost. Call 269-383-8742 for a quote.
Calhoun County says dried latex can go in regular trash, but the city's page says no paints in its carts. Ask Republic Services at 269-216-8008 before you set it out.
The county collections are for all Calhoun County residents, and 2026 stops were held in Albion and Marshall as well as Battle Creek. Your trash hauler's rules on dried latex may differ.
October 16, 2026: Read Calhoun County's events page (2026 collections April 27 at Bailey Park, May 18 at Ketchum Field in Albion, September 14 at the Fairgrounds in Marshall; accepted and refused lists; latex refused), its household hazardous waste page, FAQ (oil-based only; how to dry latex; dried latex in regular trash), recycling guide (Kalamazoo center and ePaint Recycling listings), locations and C&C Landfill pages; the City of Battle Creek garbage, recycling and events pages; Kalamazoo County's center page (read in a browser: free areas list does not include Calhoun County; others pay a fee plus disposal); Kalamazoo County's latex page (latex not accepted); Battle Creek Parks and Recreation's field page (Bailey Park at 1392 Capital Ave NE; PaintCare lists 1350); Michigan EGLE; PaintCare's listing (labeling and gas-can notes). Not resolved: 2027 dates; Kalamazoo's fee amount; the city-county conflict on dried latex in carts; whether Battle Creek's Habitat ReStore takes paint (no policy found). Did not call anyone.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
