Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Great Falls.
1st St. S and 3rd Ave. S, Great Falls, MT
Location wording differs. The city's page gives the corner of 1st St. S and 3rd Ave. S. The Electric gave 112 1st St. S, just south of the Great Falls Police Department, for April 2026, and KXLF described the September 2025 event the same way. Check the city page or call 406-727-8390 before the 2027 event. The Electric's 2026 story calls the previous event August 2025, while KXLF dated it September 13, 2025.
142 Powerline Rd, Floweree, MT 59440
The city's yard-waste FAQ gives 406-452-3143 for the landfill; the county page routes site questions to Republic Services at 406-770-4441. Because the two hour lists don't match, call before a late weekday or Saturday trip.
Don't wait for the collection day; it won't take latex. Mix in kitty litter or sand, let it dry with the lid off, then close it, bag it and put it in your garbage container on your normal day.
Keep them sealed and stored until the city's spring 2027 collection day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1st St. S and 3rd Ave. S. Arrive early, because intake stops when the truck or budget runs out.
Dried latex cans can ride along to High Plains Landfill, 142 Powerline Rd. in Floweree, because the city's Environmental Division manager told KRTV that latex that isn't liquid can go to the landfill. Tie down or tarp the load. Hours differ between the county and city pages, so call 406-452-3143 before a Saturday run.
The city's collection day refuses commercial business waste, so the paint can't go there. Use a licensed hazardous waste company, or ask the Environmental Division at 406-727-8390 what applies to the latex.
Dry latex paint with kitty litter or sand, bag it and put it in your regular garbage; that's the city's year-round rule. Save oil-based paint, thinner and shellac for the city's free collection day, listed for spring 2027 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1st St. S and 3rd Ave. S. It's for Great Falls residents only, so businesses and people outside the city need another option.
Great Falls, Montana, has no year-round paint drop-off. The city's Public Works Environmental Division and Veolia North America run a free household hazardous waste collection day for city residents, and the next one is listed for spring 2027. Latex paint isn't taken at that event; the city wants it dried and put in the garbage. Montana has no PaintCare program, so there is no PaintCare store drop-off network here.
Great Falls splits paint by type. Latex or water-based paint is dried and goes in your garbage container. Oil-based paint, paint thinner and shellac must wait for the collection day. The event turns latex away, so drying it at home is your only latex option here.
The event runs on a set budget. The Electric reported $50,000 for April 2026, paid from sewer and storm drain funds, and the city says it stops taking waste once the truck is full. The Electric reported that in past years some people near the end were turned away when the money ran out. Arrive close to 9 a.m.
If you're already hauling a load, the city's Environmental Division manager told KRTV in 2025 that latex paint can go to the landfill as long as it isn't liquid. High Plains Landfill is at 142 Powerline Rd. in Floweree. Strap or tarp the load; the city says a $10 fine can apply.
Cascade County's staffed rural collection sites (Armington, Cascade, Fort Shaw, Hardy Creek, Monarch, Stockett, Ulm and Vaughn) take household waste only, and county punch cards aren't valid for special waste. The county sends site questions to Republic Services (406-770-4441). They are not a substitute for the city's hazardous waste day.
PaintCare's locator data shows a City of Helena Latex Paint Exchange (a non-program listing) but no Great Falls site. The city's own list of year-round options points latex to the trash and oil-based paint to the collection day. For still-good paint, give it to a neighbor or ask a reuse charity the city names, such as the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 816 20th St. N (406-453-2173), whether it takes paint.
Montana has no PaintCare program, and PaintCare's locator data lists no site in Great Falls, so there is no PaintCare store drop-off here. Usable paint can go to a neighbor or a reuse charity the city names: Habitat for Humanity ReStore (816 20th St. N, 406-453-2173), Salvation Army Thrift Store (616 1st Ave. NW), St. Vincent De Paul (426 Central Ave. S) or My Neighbor in Need. None of them publish a paint policy, so call first. For motor oil and other fluids, the city lists AutoZone and O'Reilly Auto Parts year-round; antifreeze waits for the collection day. Businesses can't use the city event and need a private hazardous waste company. If you live outside city limits, The Electric reports the event won't take your waste; the city's Environmental Division (406-727-8390) can answer questions.
For latex: leave the lid off a nearly empty can until it dries, or stir in kitty litter or sand until the paint won't slosh. Put the lid back on, bag the can and set it in your garbage container. City code says all garbage in residential containers must be wrapped in paper or plastic. For oil-based paint and thinner: keep them in their original labeled cans with tight lids until the spring 2027 event. The city says antifreeze waits for the same event. KRTV quoted the city in 2025 that staff screen materials at the event, and some items may be turned away.
Full preparation checklist →There's no year-round drop-off. Oil-based paint goes to the city's household hazardous waste collection day, listed for spring 2027 at 1st St. S and 3rd Ave. S, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dried latex goes in your garbage.
No. The city says latex paint and mercury will not be accepted. Dry the latex with kitty litter or sand, bag it and put it in your regular garbage.
We found none. The spring event was set for April 25, 2026, and the city's page now lists the next one as spring 2027 with the date to be announced. Call 406-727-8390 if you want to check.
The Electric's April 2026 story says materials from non-city residents won't be accepted, and the city's page describes the event as for Great Falls residents. Ask the Environmental Division at 406-727-8390 whether there's any option for you; the county's rural sites take household waste only.
No. The city says commercial business waste won't be accepted at the collection day. A business needs a licensed hazardous waste company.
October 17, 2026: read the City of Great Falls Hazardous Waste Collection Day, Recycling in Great Falls, Solid Waste Holiday Schedule and Environmental Division pages (the city moved to greatfallsmt.gov and its old greatfallsmt.net event pages now return 404), Cascade County's Solid Waste Services page, The Electric's 2025 and 2026 event stories, KXLF (September 2025) and KRTV (April 2025). Checked PaintCare locator data: no Great Falls listing; Montana has no PaintCare program. Unresolved: the exact 2027 date; whether the event site is 112 1st St. S or the corner the city names; whether a fall 2026 event was ever held (none found); High Plains Landfill hours (county and city pages differ); and whether any Great Falls reuse store accepts paint. The Electric's 2026 story dates the previous event to August 2025, while KXLF says September 13, 2025.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}