Drop it off free
3 free paint drop-off sites within 12 miles.
- HirshfieldsPaint store1 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store1.2 mi
- Blue Earth HHW Regional Collection FacilityHazardous waste site2.1 mi
Mankato, MN Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Mankato.
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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 Mankato4
Start with these
Blue Earth County household hazardous waste facility
651 Summit Avenue, Mankato, MN 56001
- Accepts
- Household latex and oil paint, stains and other listed hazardous products.
- Who can use it
- Households in Blue Earth, Nicollet and Le Sueur counties. No business, nonprofit or institution waste.
- Hours
- April–October: Tuesday noon–6 pm; Wednesday and Thursday noon–4 pm; second Saturday 8 am–noon. November–March: Tuesday–Thursday noon–4 pm, no Saturdays. The Product Reuse Area is open April–October only.
- Load limits
- No household paint limit found. Call about large loads or unknown contents.
- Fees
- Free for households.
The Product Reuse Area is open April–October only. Old pages saying the site closes all winter are wrong.
3 PaintCare drop-off sites within 12 miles of Mankato.
4 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 Minnesota
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.
Hirshfields
1 mi619 N Riverfront Dr, Mankato, MN 56001
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
1.2 mi350 Saint Andrews Dr, Mankato, MN 56001
- Limits
- Limit: 5 gallons per visit.
Blue Earth HHW Regional Collection Facility
2.1 mi651 Summit Ave, Mankato, MN 56001
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Blue Earth Brown Faribault Le Sueur Martin Nicollet and Watonwan Counties
- Hours
- April-October Tuesday 12 pm - 6 pm, Wednesday-Thursday 12 pm - 4 pm, Second Saturday 8 am - 12 pm, November - March Tuesday - Thursday 12 pm - 4 pm Reuse Center is closed during winter operating hours.
- Limits
- Limit: 200 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 also takes most other household hazardous waste -- contact the site for details and restrictions. Please do not bring empty, leaking or unlabeled containers. SOME BUSINESSES may use this program by appointment or on special days. Contact the program for details if your paint (or other hazardous waste) is from a business.
Waterville Hardware Hank
20.6 mi229 E Main St, Waterville, MN 56096
- Who
- Households and Businesses
Waseca Ace Hardware
24 mi121 2nd St NW, Waseca, MN 56093
- 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 Mankato cleanout?3
You are finishing a fall project before the schedule changes
April–October, Tuesday hours run later and there’s a second-Saturday session. November–March, it’s Tuesday–Thursday noon–4 pm. Don’t count on a Saturday in winter. Check holiday closures if you can’t store cans safely until then.
Your address is in a neighboring county
The site names Blue Earth, Nicollet and Le Sueur households. Check which county the paint comes from before driving in, even if an old brochure names a wider area. Access is by county, which matters for North Mankato and for friends hauling your paint.
The paint has lost its label or sat through freezing weather
Tell the coordinator what you know first. Blue Earth wants products labeled, closed, unfrozen, and loose or boxed, not bagged. Don’t guess at or mix unknown contents. Business, nonprofit and institution products need another option.
Mankato rules and tips3
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Blue Earth County’s Summit Avenue site serves Blue Earth, Nicollet and Le Sueur households. Winter hours are shorter, but it stays open. Business waste is screened separately.
Mankato’s Summit Avenue site takes household waste all winter, but evening, Saturday and reuse hours shrink after October. Plan a paint cleanout around the fall schedule.
Use October’s longer Tuesday hours
Tuesday drop-off runs to 6 pm through October; winter Tuesdays end at 4 pm. Second Saturdays are warm-season only too.
Keep paint out of the city cleanup load
Mankato’s yearly cleanup doesn’t take hazardous waste like paint. Take cans to the hazardous waste site; don’t hide them under bulky items.
No Saturdays November–March
Second-Saturday hours run April–October; in 2026 the last one was scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2026, and no weekend hours follow until April. The Product Reuse Area also closes November to April. Keep paint indoors so it won’t freeze while you wait.
Free pickup programs and other options
For paint only, check a PaintCare store. 100 gallons or more may qualify for free pickup at View program details ↗ . Solvents need another approved option.
Getting your paint ready
Bring labeled, closed containers loose or in boxes, not bags. Don’t let them freeze or sit in a hot car.
Full preparation checklist →Mankato questions2
Does all service stop in November?
No. Household drop-off stays open Tuesday–Thursday noon–4 pm. Reuse and Saturday hours are seasonal.
Can an organization bring its leftovers?
No. The household program doesn’t take waste from businesses, nonprofits or institutions. Ask the county what to do instead.
Sources and how we checked9
Ask the coordinator about large loads or unknown products, and check holiday closures. Rechecked October 6, 2026: seasonal hours, reuse-area season and the three-county, households-only rule.
Checked October 6, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Blue Earth County HHW program and eligibility ↗Blue Earth current seasonal hours ↗Blue Earth County paint and stain guidance ↗Mankato cleanup exclusions and free HHW route ↗Le Sueur County 2026 partner schedule ↗PaintCare Minnesota ↗PaintCare current drop-off locator ↗PaintCare free large-volume pickup ↗PaintCare pickup eligibility and preparation ↗
