Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Albuquerque.
2720 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
A reuse area gives away usable products that people drop off. Phone numbers differ by source: the city and NMED list 505-884-2277, a KRQE story listed 505-844-2277, and PaintCare’s listing shows 505-349-5220. Use 505-884-2277 or ABQ 311 (505-768-2000).
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.
2720 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
2708 Iris Rd NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144
2708 Iris Rd NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Let it dry with the lid off or mix in kitty litter, then put the cans in your trash cart. Or give it to a neighbor who can use it.
Bring it to Girard on a weekday morning or Saturday. If it’s over 125 pounds, split it into two trips.
The Albuquerque center is for Bernalillo County. Sandoval County’s drop-off has been suspended since March 23, 2026, so dry latex for the trash and call 505-867-0814 about oil-based paint.
Leave the liquid paint at home. Convenience centers don’t take hazardous waste or free liquids; take it to Girard instead.
Take oil-based paint, stain and thinner to the free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center, 2720 Girard Blvd. NE (Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8–2; Saturday 8–3), if you live in Albuquerque or Bernalillo County. Dry or harden latex and put it in the trash. Loads are capped at 125 pounds.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, oil-based paint, stain and thinner go free to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 2720 Girard Blvd. NE, run by Safety-Kleen for the city and Bernalillo County. Latex is easier: the city says you can dry it out or harden it with an absorbent, then put it in the trash.
Drop off Monday, Wednesday or Friday 8 a.m.–2 p.m., or Saturday 8 a.m.–3 p.m. No appointment is listed. It’s closed on major holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
Each load can be up to 125 pounds and no bigger than 55 gallons. A big cleanout may take more than one trip.
Eagle Rock, Don Reservoir and Montessa Park charge $5 a load for city residents and don’t take hazardous waste or anything with free liquids.
Rio Rancho is mostly in Sandoval County, not Bernalillo County, so unless your address is in Bernalillo County, the Girard site isn’t for you. Sandoval County suspended its own hazardous waste drop-off on March 23, 2026. Call the county landfill line, 505-867-0814, for updates.
The city and the state list 505-884-2277 for the center. An older news story printed 505-844-2277. If in doubt, dial 311.
New Mexico has no PaintCare program, so stores won’t take paint back. Give usable paint to someone who will use it, or pick up free products at the Girard center’s reuse area. For latex, let it evaporate or mix in an absorbent like kitty litter, then put it in your trash cart.
Keep paint in the original can with a tight lid and keep the load under 125 pounds. Bring ID with your Albuquerque or Bernalillo County address in case you’re asked. If you’re drying latex, do it outside, away from kids and pets, until there’s no liquid left.
Full preparation checklist →Yes, for residents of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County at the Girard Blvd. NE center.
Yes, once it’s dried or solidified with an absorbent. Never put liquid paint in the cart.
Yes, if you live in Bernalillo County. The center is open to all county residents, not just the city.
No. The center only takes household waste. Businesses, nonprofits and agencies must use a state-permitted hazardous waste company.
Up to 125 pounds per load, and no more than 55 gallons.
October 12, 2026: read the City of Albuquerque’s household hazardous waste page and its hazardous waste disposal table, the convenience centers page, NMED’s household hazardous waste fact sheet (revised Feb. 2025), KRQE’s story on the Safety-Kleen switch, and Sandoval County’s solid waste page. The city’s table lists latex both as trash-safe once dried and as accepted at the center; we lead with drying. Phone numbers conflict (city and NMED: 505-884-2277; KRQE: 505-844-2277; PaintCare listing: 505-349-5220); we used the city and NMED number. The city page doesn’t say what ID is checked. The last city collection day we found was in 2025; no 2026 event was listed. Greater Albuquerque Habitat’s ReStore paint policy couldn’t be confirmed. PaintCare still lists Sandoval County’s landfill as a drop-off, but the county page says the program is suspended.
Checked October 12, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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