Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Leelanau County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event · Elmwood Township ParkHazardous waste site3 mi
Traverse City, MI Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Traverse City3
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Grand Traverse County RecycleSmart household hazardous waste collection events
2650 LaFranier Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686 (program office only; events are held off S. Airport Rd near Costco, and the exact address is sent when you book)
- Accepts
- Oil-based, latex and lead paint, stain, varnish, deck stain, paint stripper, solvents, thinners and turpentine. Latex is taken in liquid form only.
- Who can use it
- Grand Traverse County residents only. Businesses, schools and other groups need a separate very small business (VSQG) appointment: a yearly form at least 10 days before their first event and an inventory form at least 7 days before each event, and they pay $1.30 a pound over 150 pounds.
- Hours
- Appointment only, on set event days. All five 2026 events are over (the last was September 12, 2026). Posted 2027 dates: Thursdays April 22, 2027, May 20, 2027, June 17, 2027 and August 12, 2027 (1–6 p.m.), and Saturday, September 11, 2027 (9 a.m.–2 p.m.). Sign-up for April 22 opens March 22, 2027.
- Load limits
- 150 pounds free per household. Hardened latex paint and empty paint cans are not taken; they go in your trash.
- Fees
- Free up to 150 pounds, then $1.30 a pound. Bring cash or a check. The county asks for a $25 donation because the average car costs it $91 to process.
Don't drive to the LaFranier Road office with paint; the county says events are not held there. Print the map or write down the address when you book. If online sign-up fails, try another browser or call 231-632-5162.
Leelanau County household hazardous waste collection – Elmwood Township Park
Elmwood Township Park, E Cherry Bend Rd, Traverse City, MI 49684
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based paint, paint thinner, stripper and primer, turpentine, varnish, wood preservative and aerosols, per the county's 2026 flyer. Latex is limited to ten 1-gallon cans (the flyer says 10 gallons) per vehicle.
- Who can use it
- Set up for Leelanau County households; PaintCare's listing says Leelanau County residents only, no businesses.
- Hours
- One date left in 2026: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., by appointment. (The September 21 Peshawbestown collection is already past.)
- Load limits
- No more than ten 1-gallon cans of latex paint per vehicle. Bring everything in boxes or paper bags; PaintCare's listing adds open-top boxes and no plastic bags. Stay in your car; workers unload.
- Fees
- No charge at the event. The county's 2026 flyer says costs are covered by a charge on winter tax bills (Public Act 69 of 2005), for households only.
Book online or call 231-256-9812 (planning@leelanau.gov). Slots are limited and the event closes once they fill. No electronics or shredding at this collection.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Traverse City.
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.
Leelanau County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event · Elmwood Township Park
3 miE Cherry Bend Rd, Traverse City, MI 49684
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Leelanau County
- Hours
- By Appointment only: Saturday, October 10, 2026. 8 am - 1 pm. Appointments are required and slots are limited.
- Limits
- Accepting latex paint with maximum of 10 -1 gallon cans per vehicle. Items must be brought to the collections in Boxes open top so we can view the items. DO NOT pack in plastic bags. Be patient with traffic. Stay in line. Stay in your car. Workers will unload materials.
- Products
- This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers.
- Notes
- Directions: Off Cherry Bend Rd. Once slots are full the collection events will be closed. Please reserve your time online via the website or call (231) 256-9812, for an appointment and additional information.
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 Traverse City cleanout?4
You just finished painting and have leftover latex
Don't hold it until spring. Pour it in 1-inch layers into a plastic-lined box, or mix in cat litter, and let it dry. Once it's fully hard, bag it and put it out with your trash.
You have oil-based stain or thinner to get rid of this fall
Store it with lids tight until 2027. Book the April 22, 2027 event when sign-up opens March 22, 2027. Bring the address from your confirmation; the site isn't the LaFranier Road office.
Your home is on the Leelanau County side
Leelanau County's collection on October 10, 2026 at Elmwood Township Park is by appointment and limits latex to ten 1-gallon cans per car. Pack items in open boxes or paper bags. Book online or call 231-256-9812.
You're a contractor or rental manager
Businesses can't use the regular online booking. Fill out the yearly VSQG form at least 10 days before your first event and an inventory form at least 7 days before each event. Expect $1.30 a pound over 150 pounds.
Traverse City rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Dry latex paint with cat litter or sawdust until it's hard, then put it in your trash. Oil-based paint must wait for Grand Traverse County's next appointment-only collection on April 22, 2027; all 2026 events are over. Residents get 150 pounds free, then pay $1.30 a pound.
Traverse City has no year-round hazardous waste drop-off. Grand Traverse County holds five appointment-only collection days a year, and all of 2026's are over. Until April 2027, dry latex paint and put it in the trash, and store oil-based paint safely until the next event.
The 2026 season is over
Grand Traverse County's last 2026 event was September 12. The next is Thursday, April 22, 2027, 1–6 p.m., and sign-up opens March 22, 2027. Later 2027 dates are Thursdays May 20, 2027, June 17, 2027 and August 12, 2027 (1–6 p.m.), plus Saturday, September 11, 2027 (9 a.m.–2 p.m.).
You won't know the address until you book
The events are held off S. Airport Rd near Costco, not at the RecycleSmart office on LaFranier Road. The county sends the address when you finish booking, so print the map or write it down.
150 pounds free, then $1.30 a pound
Residents can bring 150 pounds free. Above that it's $1.30 a pound, paid in cash or check. Each car costs the county about $91 to handle, so it asks for a $25 donation. The program isn't paid for by the county's general fund.
Latex is taken, but the county would rather you dry it
The events take liquid latex, but RecycleSmart's paint guide says drying latex at home keeps the program within budget. Hardened latex and empty cans go in your regular trash, never in recycling.
Part of the city is in Leelanau County
A small northwest part of Traverse City is in Leelanau County. Leelanau runs its own appointment-only collection on Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., at Elmwood Township Park on Cherry Bend Road, with a limit of ten 1-gallon cans of latex per vehicle. It takes oil-based paint too, and there's no fee at the event. Its earlier 2026 events are past.
Free pickup programs and other options
Give usable paint to friends, neighbors, theater groups or community centers, as RecycleSmart's guide suggests; call first. Paint is not on the Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region ReStore's accepted list (2487 Rice St), so call 231-944-1182 before bringing any. Michigan has no PaintCare program, so stores don't take paint back for free. Businesses use the county's very small business (VSQG) appointments.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in original labeled cans with tight lids. For latex: a little paint can air-dry with the lid off over a few days. For more, mix in an equal amount of cat litter, sawdust or paint hardener, or pour 1-inch layers into a plastic-lined box. When it's fully dry, bag it and put it out with the trash. Store oil-based paint somewhere cool, dry and away from kids until the next event.
Full preparation checklist →Traverse City questions5
When is the next hazardous waste day in Traverse City?
Thursday, April 22, 2027, 1–6 p.m. Booking opens March 22, 2027. There are no more Grand Traverse County events in 2026.
Can I put latex paint in the trash?
Yes, once it's completely hard. RecycleSmart says liquid paint in the trash is illegal and spills from garbage trucks onto streets.
How do I tell latex from oil-based paint?
Read the cleanup directions. Soap and water means latex. Mineral spirits, or the words 'alkyd' or 'combustible', means oil-based, which must go to a collection event.
Does it cost anything?
Up to 150 pounds is free for Grand Traverse County residents. Over that it's $1.30 a pound. A $25 donation is requested.
I live in Leelanau County. Can I use the Grand Traverse events?
No. The Grand Traverse events are for Grand Traverse County residents only. Use Leelanau County's collections instead (231-256-9812).
Sources and how we checked10
October 7, 2026: read Grand Traverse County's household hazardous waste page (now listing 2027 dates and 'no remaining collection events for 2026'), its examples list and its RecycleSmart paint guide PDF; Northern Express (August 8, 2026) confirmed the August 13 and September 12, 2026 events, both past. Read Leelanau County's collection page (October 10, 2026 event is upcoming; September 21 is past) and Habitat Grand Traverse Region's ReStore pages. The exact event address is given only after booking. Peer review opened Leelanau's 2026 flyer: it lists latex and oil paint (10-gallon latex limit) and says costs are covered by a winter tax bill charge, so there's no event fee. The flyer also lists May 16 and June 20 events, both past. Unresolved: the park's street number. We did not call any office.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Grand Traverse County household hazardous waste collection ↗Grand Traverse County RecycleSmart household paint disposal guide (PDF) ↗Grand Traverse County examples of household hazardous waste ↗Northern Express: Parting ways with hazardous waste (August 2026) ↗Leelanau County solid waste and household hazardous waste collections ↗Leelanau County 2026 household hazardous waste flyer (PDF) ↗Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region ReStore accepted items ↗Traverse City, Michigan (Wikipedia, county boundaries) ↗Michigan EGLE household hazardous waste ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
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