Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Grand Rapids.
1045 Wealthy St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Latex paint is turned away here. Thursday holiday closures hit this site's Thursday afternoon hours; check the county's holiday PDF or call 616-632-7920 before a holiday-week trip. Tell staff if you want your box or tote back.
5068 Breton Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49508
Open only three hours a week. Hosted by the City of Kentwood. Latex paint is not taken.
2350 Ivanrest Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418
Staffed by the City of Wyoming. The mailing address says Grandville even though the site is the Wyoming water plant. Latex paint is not taken.
2908 Ten Mile Rd NE, Rockford, MI 49341
The only SafeChem site open on Fridays. Latex paint is not taken here either.
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.
1045 Wealthy St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
2350 Ivanrest Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418
5068 Breton SE, Kentwood, MI 49508
6693 Roger Dr, Jenison, MI 49428
2908 Ten Mile, Rockford, MI 49341
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
That's almost always latex. Throw away the lid, stir in cat litter or sawdust until it's thick, and let it harden. Then it goes in your trash. If the paint is still good and in its original can, RepcoLite takes it for $3 a can, per Kent County.
Box it up and take it to any SafeChem site; it's free. Wealthy Street has the most hours, including a Saturday morning each month. Before you go, look at the Swap Shop there: you might find the thinner you need for your next job.
The Kentwood site at 5068 Breton Ave SE is open Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. The Wyoming water plant at 2350 Ivanrest Ave SW is open Monday 1–3 p.m. and Thursday 7–9 a.m. Neither takes electronics.
If you have more than 20 gallons or 6 moving boxes, call 616-632-7941 first so staff are ready. Nothing in a container over 5 gallons. If the owner is a business or landlord company, SafeChem can't take it; use a private hazardous waste hauler.
Take oil-based paint, stain, thinner and spray cans to Kent County SafeChem at 1045 Wealthy St SW; it's free for Kent County residents and needs no appointment. SafeChem does not take latex. Dry latex with cat litter until it's solid, then put it in your trash.
Grand Rapids residents use Kent County's free SafeChem program for oil-based paint, stain, thinner and spray cans. SafeChem does not take latex paint. Kent County says to dry latex out and put it in the trash, or pay a fee to drop it at a RepcoLite store.
Kent County's test: if the label says clean up with water, it's latex and SafeChem won't take it. If it says mineral spirits or paint thinner, or uses the words 'alkyd' or 'combustible', it's oil-based and goes to SafeChem for free.
The SafeChem site at 1045 Wealthy St SW is open Monday and Thursday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and the second Saturday of each month. No appointment needed. Kentwood (Tuesday), Wyoming (Monday and Thursday), Rockford (Friday) and the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center (Monday morning) cover the other days.
Throw the lid away, then stir in cat litter, sawdust or sand until the paint is as thick as oatmeal. Let it harden in a spot away from kids, pets and rain. Then it can go in your trash. Don't put the can in your recycling bin, even when it's empty, because dried paint ruins the recycling.
The Wealthy Street site runs a Swap Shop with usable products people dropped off, often spray paint, stain, varnish and thinner. You don't have to bring anything. You sign a reuse waiver before you leave. It does not carry latex paint.
Call 616-632-7941 or email the county recycling office first if you have more than 6 moving boxes or 20 gallons of hazardous waste, or anything in a container bigger than 5 gallons. SafeChem won't take drums at all.
Kent County lists RepcoLite, a local paint chain, as taking latex paint for $3 a container, any size. The paint must be in its original can, still usable (never frozen, no chunks, no bad smell). RepcoLite's own website doesn't describe this, so call 616-608-7704 before you go. The county also lists Michigan Paint Recycling & Disposal (616-649-2821), a paid latex pickup service. Habitat for Humanity of Kent County's ReStore does not take paint, new or used. Michigan has no PaintCare program, so stores don't take paint back for free.
Keep oil paint in its original labeled can with the lid on tight. Pack cans upright in a box or tote, not a bag, and tell staff if you want the box back. Leave latex at home to dry, and don't bring empty cans; the county says empty or nearly empty cans go in the trash.
Full preparation checklist →No. Kent County says latex is water-based and not hazardous. Dry it out and put it in the trash, or pay RepcoLite $3 a can if it's still usable.
No. Just come during a site's open hours. Call ahead only if you have more than 6 moving boxes or 20 gallons.
Yes, for Kent County residents. The county ordinance pays for it.
No. SafeChem takes household waste only. Kent County lists private haulers for businesses, including SET Environmental (877-437-7455) and Plummer's Environmental Services (616-877-3930).
No. Kent County says not to put paint cans in the recycling bin because paint residue makes them unrecyclable. Put empty cans in the trash.
October 7, 2026: Kent County's website blocks automated readers, so the author first read archived copies; peer review on October 7, 2026 reopened the live SafeChem, Swap Shop, latex paint, accepted materials and preparing pages in a browser and they match (hours, five sites, no latex, 5-gallon and 6-box/20-gallon rules, Swap Shop). The live 2026 holiday PDF lists SafeChem closed November 26, December 24, December 25, December 31 and January 1, 2027. The county lists the second Saturday as a rule but publishes no specific Saturday dates, so we don't list them. RepcoLite's $3 latex fee comes from Kent County's page; RepcoLite's own site doesn't mention it and we did not call. Habitat Kent's ReStore donation page lists paint as not accepted. Michigan EGLE's household hazardous waste page was read for state context. Not checked: whether Grand Rapids city trash haulers have their own rules for dried paint cans.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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