Drop it off free
1 free paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store0.3 mi
- Franklinville True Value HardwarePaint store18.1 mi
- Sherwin-WilliamsPaint store24.4 mi
Olean, NY Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Olean.
NOW AVAILABLE IN OLEAN
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Olean4
Start with these
Sherwin-Williams — Delaware Park Center, Olean (PaintCare drop-off)
11 Delaware Park Ctr, Olean, NY 14760
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based house paint, stain and varnish in original labeled containers up to 5 gallons, according to PaintCare. No spray cans, and no leaking, unlabeled or empty containers.
- Who can use it
- New York households and businesses, according to PaintCare.
- Hours
- PaintCare says paint is taken during regular store hours. We didn't check store hours; call first.
- Load limits
- 5 gallons per visit, according to PaintCare's listing.
- Fees
- Free for paint.
It's the only PaintCare drop-off listed in Olean itself, and Cattaraugus County's transfer station rules name it as a local place for wet paint. It takes paint only. Paint thinner and other chemicals wait for the county's October hazardous waste day, or go to Hazman in Tonawanda, which the county names for flammable solvents.
Cattaraugus County Household Hazardous Waste Day — DPW Allegany Highway Facility (once a year, October)
3108 North 7th St, Allegany, NY 14706
- Accepts
- Household chemicals such as paint thinner, varnish stripper, solvents, adhesives, gasoline, antifreeze, brake fluid, driveway sealer, roofing tar, wood preservatives, pool and lawn chemicals, cleaners and fluorescent bulbs. The 2026 page says paint is also accepted, and notes that you can take paint to a PaintCare site any time of year.
- Who can use it
- Households. The county says its hazardous waste information covers home-generated waste only; businesses must follow hazardous waste rules.
- Hours
- One collection day a year, in October, by registration only. The 2026 day was Saturday, October 3, from 9 a.m., and registration closed October 1. No 2027 date is posted.
- Load limits
- No quantity limit is posted. Keep items in original labeled containers, packed in a plastic-lined box or tote in your trunk or truck bed.
- Fees
- Free.
Register first, online or at 716-938-9121 or 1-800-248-7719 ext. 2418. Arrive at your reservation time and stay in your vehicle; the recycler unloads for you. This is not a year-round drop-off.
Portville Transfer Station, Weston Mills (no paint)
99 Critchlow Dr, Weston Mills, NY 14788
- Accepts
- Bagged garbage up to 60-gallon bags, limited yard waste, electronics, #1 and #2 plastics, metal cans, clear glass, paper, cardboard, textiles, tires, metal, Freon units and bulky items. No liquid paint and no household hazardous waste. The station's own listing says "Paint or paint products" are not accepted, but the county's 2025 rules say dry latex paint is the only paint waste its stations take.
- Who can use it
- A "Public Only" station for residential customers. People who live outside the county may use it only for waste generated in Cattaraugus County, with proof of a county address.
- Hours
- Public hours: Tuesday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed on most county holidays; check the county's holiday list.
- Load limits
- Garbage up to 3 cubic yards a day; yard waste up to five 30-gallon bags or one cubic yard; one TV or monitor a day; four tires a day.
- Fees
- Per-bag and per-item fees under the county's 2025 fee schedule (for example $3.00 for a 17–35 gallon bag of garbage).
Listed so you don't waste a trip with liquid paint. The county says its transfer stations can't take liquid latex or oil-based paint. If you want to bring dried latex, call the county at 716-938-9121 first, since the two county pages disagree. The City of Olean tells residents to take bulky items to county transfer stations and lists this number.
1 PaintCare drop-off site within 12 miles of Olean.
4 paint stores and 0 hazardous waste sites, 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 New York
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.
Sherwin-Williams
0.3 mi11 Delaware Park Ctr, Olean, NY 14760
- Limits
- Limit: 5 Gallons per visit.
Franklinville True Value Hardware
18.1 mi99 N Main St, Franklinville, NY 14737
- Limits
- Limit: 5 Gallons per visit.
Sherwin-Williams
24.4 mi125 Bolivar Rd, Wellsville, NY 14895
- Limits
- Limit: 5 Gallons per visit.
Tinkertown Hardware
36.3 mi833 State Route 244, Alfred Station, NY 14803
- Limits
- Limit: 25 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 Olean cleanout?4
You're cleaning out a garage in Olean
Take liquid paint and stain to Sherwin-Williams in Delaware Park Center, 5 gallons at a time. Put gasoline and pool chemicals aside until the county posts its 2027 October collection. Thinner and turpentine can wait for that day too, or go to Hazman in Tonawanda, which the county lists for flammable solvents.
You signed up for Clean-Up Week
Empty paint cans can go in your Clean-Up Week pile. Full or half-full cans can't; the city won't pick up paint or liquids. Take those to Sherwin-Williams instead.
You live in Allegany or Portville
Your county transfer station won't take liquid paint. The Olean Sherwin-Williams is the PaintCare store listed for Olean; PaintCare also lists stores in Franklinville and Wellsville.
You have more than 5 gallons
Split it into several trips to the Olean store, or call Tinkertown Hardware in Alfred Station, which PaintCare lists at 25 gallons a visit. At 100 gallons or more, PaintCare offers a free pickup.
Olean rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take house paint, stain and varnish to Sherwin-Williams, 11 Delaware Park Ctr, Olean (716-372-9470); it's free through PaintCare, up to 5 gallons a visit. Call first. Don't bring liquid paint to the Portville or Allegany transfer stations. Save thinner and other chemicals for Cattaraugus County's next October hazardous waste day; the 2026 one was October 3.
Olean, in Cattaraugus County, New York, has one place that takes leftover paint all year: the PaintCare drop-off at Sherwin-Williams in Delaware Park Center. The county's seven transfer stations, including Portville and Allegany, don't take liquid paint. The county's free hazardous waste day happens once a year in October, and the 2026 day has already passed. The Buffalo guide covers Erie County, NY; its programs don't apply here.
One store in Olean takes paint
PaintCare lists only one drop-off in Olean: Sherwin-Williams at 11 Delaware Park Center. It takes up to 5 gallons a visit of latex or oil-based paint, stain and varnish, free, from New York households and businesses, according to PaintCare. The county recommends taking paint to a PaintCare store any time of year, and its transfer station rules name this store and Franklinville True Value as local places for wet paint.
County transfer stations turn liquid paint away
All seven Cattaraugus County stations list "Paint or paint products" as not accepted: Allegany, Conewango, Dayton, Five Points in Mansfield, Machias, Portville in Weston Mills and Salamanca. The county's FAQ says they can't take liquid latex or oil-based paint. Its 2025 rules page adds that dry latex paint is the only paint waste the stations take. Because the pages disagree, call 716-938-9121 before bringing dried latex.
The hazardous waste day is once a year
The county holds one free collection every October. In 2026 it was Saturday, October 3, at the DPW Allegany Highway Facility, 3108 North 7th St., and you had to register by October 1. Keep thinner, stripper and other chemicals stored safely until the 2027 date is posted. Questions: 716-938-9121.
Clean-Up Week takes empty cans, not paint
The City of Olean's 2026 Clean-Up Week is scheduled to begin October 19, 2026, and sign-ups closed October 15. Empty paint cans are on its list of items picked up. Paint, solvents and any liquids are not. The fee is $75 a lot, paid in advance. Questions go to Olean DPW at 716-376-5650.
Keep paint out of the city recycling
Olean's curbside recycling list says no hazardous or paint-contaminated items. Recycling is picked up on your refuse day, and the city says you must have stickered garbage out.
Free pickup programs and other options
PaintCare also lists Franklinville True Value Hardware, 99 N Main St, Franklinville (716-676-4164, 5 gallons a visit), Sherwin-Williams, 125 Bolivar Rd, Wellsville (585-593-4340, 5 gallons) and Tinkertown Hardware, 833 State Route 244, Alfred Station (607-587-8500, 25 gallons a visit). For 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup. For thinner, turpentine and other flammable solvents between county collection days, the county names Hazman, 177 Wales Avenue, Tonawanda.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid on tight. PaintCare stores won't take spray cans, or leaking, unlabeled or empty cans. For the county's hazardous waste day, pack items in a plastic-lined box or tote and keep labels on. Don't put paint or paint-covered items in Olean's recycling.
Full preparation checklist →Olean questions5
Where can I drop off paint in Olean, NY?
At Sherwin-Williams, 11 Delaware Park Ctr. It's a PaintCare drop-off, free, up to 5 gallons a visit. Call 716-372-9470 first.
Does the Portville or Allegany transfer station take paint?
Not liquid paint. Every Cattaraugus County transfer station lists paint and paint products as not accepted. The county's 2025 rules page says dry latex paint is the only paint waste the stations take, so call 716-938-9121 before bringing dried latex.
When is Cattaraugus County's hazardous waste day?
Once a year in October. The 2026 day was October 3 in Allegany, with registration by October 1. No 2027 date is posted yet; call 716-938-9121.
Can I put empty paint cans out for Olean Clean-Up Week?
Yes, if you signed up and paid. The city lists empty paint cans as collected. Liquid paint and solvents are not. Sign-ups closed October 15, 2026.
I'm a contractor with a lot of paint. Where does it go?
PaintCare stores take paint from businesses, 5 gallons a visit at the Olean store and 25 at Tinkertown in Alfred Station, per PaintCare. For oil-based paint, PaintCare says your business must qualify as an exempt (very small) hazardous waste generator. With 100 gallons or more, ask PaintCare for a free pickup. The county's hazardous waste day is for household waste.
Sources and how we checked12
Checked October 16, 2026 from the City of Olean refuse page and its 2026 Clean-Up Week notice, Cattaraugus County's 2026 hazardous waste day event page, its HHW, Refuse Division, transfer station, FAQ, 2025 fee changes and paint program pages, PaintCare's New York and large-volume pages, and PaintCare locator records 11564, 11688, 11596 and 11723 in data/paintcare/sites.json; no calls or visits. The 2026 event page says "We will accept paint" but steers residents to PaintCare stores during the year, so this guide treats the October day as the place for thinner and other chemicals. The county Refuse page says the event is held "every October"; no 2027 date is posted. Each transfer station listing says "Paint or paint products" are not accepted, but the county's 2025 rules page says "The only paint waste accepted at Cattaraugus County Transfer Stations is dry latex paint"; the guide tells readers to call before bringing dried latex. The same page names Sherwin-Williams Olean and Franklinville True Value for wet paint and Hazman (Tonawanda) for flammable solvents. We found no City of Olean rule on dried paint in curbside garbage. The 5-gallon limit and store hours at Sherwin-Williams weren't confirmed with the store, and we didn't find a paint reuse or swap program in the county.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Olean: Refuse, Recycling & Yard Waste Pickup ↗City of Olean: 2026 Residential Clean-Up Week notice (PDF) ↗Cattaraugus County: 2026 Free Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day ↗Cattaraugus County: Household Hazardous Waste ↗Cattaraugus County: Refuse Division ↗Cattaraugus County: Transfer Stations ↗Cattaraugus County: Solid Waste Management FAQs ↗Cattaraugus County: 2025 transfer station changes and fees ↗Cattaraugus County: NYS Postconsumer Paint Collection Program ↗PaintCare New York ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare large-volume pickup ↗
