Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Carteret County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event · Carteret County Health DepartmentHazardous waste site1.2 mi
Morehead City, NC Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Morehead City4
Start with these
Carteret County Hibbs Road Convenience Site
800 Hibbs Road, Newport, NC 28570
- Accepts
- In April only: liquid latex paint for recycling. The county says the paint goes to Habitat for Humanity projects. All year: household trash, bulky items, white goods, metal, yard waste, tires, used oil, batteries, electronics, mixed recyclables and small do-it-yourself construction debris.
- Who can use it
- People who pay Carteret County's solid waste availability fee. No contractors or commercial waste, no box trucks.
- Hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 2 to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Latex paint is taken only in April.
- Load limits
- Paint must be liquid, in its original can with the label on. Hardened paint, oil-based paint, turpentine, creosote, other solvents and unlabeled cans are refused. Trailers up to 10 feet and one load of up to 2 cubic yards per site per day.
- Fees
- Free. There is no charge at the sites for people who pay the county's availability fee.
Outside April, this site does not take paint of any kind. It is the county's busiest site and sits about a mile from the CEP transfer station.
Carteret County Otway Convenience Site
485 Harkers Island Road, Otway, NC 28516
- Accepts
- In April only: liquid latex paint for recycling. All year: household trash, bulky items, used oil, white goods, recyclables, batteries, yard waste, metal, tires, electronics and small do-it-yourself construction debris.
- Who can use it
- People who pay Carteret County's solid waste availability fee. No contractors or commercial waste.
- Hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 2 to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Latex paint is taken only in April.
- Load limits
- Paint must be liquid, in its original can with the label on. Hardened paint, oil-based paint, solvents and unlabeled cans are refused.
- Fees
- Free for people who pay the county's availability fee.
Outside April, paint is not taken here. Otway is the April drop-off for Beaufort, Harkers Island and Down East.
Coastal Environmental Partnership Household Hazardous Waste Day, Carteret County (Health Department)
3820 Bridges Street, Morehead City, NC 28557
- Accepts
- Latex and oil-based paint, paint thinners, gasoline, used motor oil, cooking oil, antifreeze, drain openers, lawn and garden fertilizer and pesticides, and batteries.
- Who can use it
- PaintCare's listing says households only, no businesses, from Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties. Craven and Pamlico hold their own event days.
- Hours
- Twice a year. In 2026 the days were Saturday, April 25 and Saturday, October 10. Both have passed, and the next date was not posted when we checked. The partnership's schedule gave 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. here for October 10. The April 25 date is in the county's April notice; its time and place come only from PaintCare's listing.
- Load limits
- PaintCare's listing for the event says up to 10 gallons of paint per vehicle, every container must be labeled, and empty, dried-out or leaking cans are not taken. You stay in your car and workers unload it.
- Fees
- No fee is published.
This is the only Carteret County option for oil-based paint. Watch the CEP page or call the county at 252-648-7878 for the next date. The phone number above is the partnership's office in New Bern.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Morehead 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.
Carteret County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event · Carteret County Health Department
1.2 mi3820 Bridges St, Morehead City, NC 28557
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Carteret Craven Pamlico Counties.
- Hours
- Saturdays: April 25 and October 10, 2026, 8 am - 1 pm. Please check for possible fall event.
- Limits
- All containers must be labeled. Maximum 10 gallons of paint per vehicle. Dried latex paint may be disposed of via normal waste collection.
- Products
- This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers.
- Notes
- Please remain in your vehicle at all times. We will remove your items from your vehicle.
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 Morehead City cleanout?5
You're cleaning out a beach rental this fall
Liquid latex has nowhere to go until April. Pop the lids, add kitty litter or Oil-Dry, let it harden and put the cans in the trash. If the paint is still good, leave a can or two for the next owner or give it away.
You can hold your latex paint until spring
The county says it takes latex paint only in April, at Hibbs Road and Otway, and calls the program yearly. Check the county's notice in the spring, store the paint where it won't freeze, and keep the label on. Hardened paint will be turned away, so this only works if it stays liquid.
You have boat varnish, thinner or oil-based paint
None of the convenience sites take these. Keep them sealed and labeled until the next Coastal Environmental Partnership day at 3820 Bridges Street, and bring no more than 10 gallons of paint per vehicle.
You did a small repair job yourself
Morehead City picks up do-it-yourself construction debris next to your cart, up to 2 cubic yards at a time, bagged or bundled. The city's rules don't mention paint, so dry leftover latex and put it in your regular trash, as the partnership allows.
You live on the west end near Swansboro or Cape Carteret
The Hwy 58 site at 1250 West Firetower Road takes electronics and recycling but not paint. In April, Hibbs Road in Newport is the closer paint drop-off.
Morehead City rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Right now, dry out latex paint with kitty litter or Oil-Dry and put it in your regular trash; liquid paint can't go to the landfill. In April, Carteret County takes liquid latex at 800 Hibbs Road (Newport) and 485 Harkers Island Road (Otway). Oil-based paint has to wait for the next hazardous waste day at 3820 Bridges Street; the 2026 days on April 25 and October 10 have passed.
This guide is for Morehead City, North Carolina, in Carteret County. The county has no year-round place for liquid paint. Latex paint is taken only in April at two convenience sites, Hibbs Road in Newport and Otway. Oil-based paint goes to a hazardous waste day held twice a year at the county Health Department on Bridges Street. Both 2026 dates are already past.
April is latex month
Every April the county takes liquid latex paint at the Hibbs Road and Otway convenience sites. The paint has to be in its original can with the label on, and it can't be hardened. The county says the paint goes to Habitat for Humanity projects.
The rest of the year, dry it
The Coastal Environmental Partnership runs the landfill for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico. It says liquid paint can't be landfilled, but dried paint and empty cans can go out with your regular trash. Leave the lid off, or speed it up with kitty litter or Oil-Dry.
Oil-based paint means waiting for a hazardous waste day
The county says the partnership holds a hazardous waste day twice a year. In 2026 the days were April 25 and October 10, and both have passed. The October day was at the Health Department, 3820 Bridges Street. PaintCare's listing says up to 10 gallons of paint per vehicle, and you stay in your car while workers unload.
The Vashti Drive site isn't for paint
The convenience site inside Morehead City, 150 Vashti Drive, takes only household trash, bulky items and batteries. Paint, gasoline, propane and other hazardous items are not taken at any county site outside the April latex program.
City trucks won't take hazardous waste
Morehead City's trash contractor is GFL Environmental. The city says hazardous and regulated materials are not collected, and it sends motor oil, tires and car batteries to the Hibbs Road site.
Free pickup programs and other options
North Carolina has no PaintCare program, so stores here don't take paint back. The same county sites serve Newport, Beaufort, Atlantic, Davis, Cedar Island, South River and Swansboro-area residents who pay the county fee. Western Carteret residents can use the Hwy 58 site at 1250 West Firetower Road in Swansboro for recycling, but it doesn't take paint either. The partnership also holds hazardous waste days in New Bern (Craven) and Bayboro (Pamlico); the Carteret day is the one for you. Wilmington's guide covers New Hanover County, whose permanent site is for New Hanover residents only. Usable paint can go to a neighbor, church or community group.
Getting your paint ready
For the April program, keep latex paint liquid, in its original can, with the label readable. For a hazardous waste day, label every container, keep lids tight, and stay under 10 gallons of paint per vehicle. To dry latex for the trash, take the lid off and let it sit, or stir in kitty litter or Oil-Dry until it no longer pours.
Full preparation checklist →Morehead City questions5
Where can I take paint in Morehead City right now?
Outside April and the twice-a-year hazardous waste days, nowhere takes liquid paint. Dry latex paint and put it in your regular trash, and hold oil-based paint for the next hazardous waste day.
When does Carteret County take latex paint?
Only during April, at the Hibbs Road site (800 Hibbs Road, Newport) and the Otway site (485 Harkers Island Road). It must be liquid, in the original can, with the label on.
When is the next hazardous waste day?
The 2026 days were April 25 and October 10, and both have passed. The county says the event runs twice a year. Check the Coastal Environmental Partnership's page or call 252-648-7878 for the 2027 date.
Can I throw dried paint in my trash cart?
Yes. The Coastal Environmental Partnership says dried paint and empty cans can go with your regular trash. Liquid paint can't.
Can a contractor use the April program or the convenience sites?
No. The county's sites don't take contractor or commercial waste, and the hazardous waste day is for households only.
Sources and how we checked14
Checked October 16, 2026: the Coastal Environmental Partnership hazardous waste page (2026 fall schedule; Carteret event Oct. 10, 2026 at 3820 Bridges Street; latex and oil paint accepted; dried paint and empty cans go in regular trash); Carteret County's Accepted Materials, Hazardous Waste Events, hours, site list and Solid Waste Division pages; the county's April 2026 latex paint release and calendar entry (April 25, 2026 hazardous waste day); Morehead City's garbage, unaccepted-materials and preparation pages; NC DEQ's permanent facility list (no Carteret site); and PaintCare's locator data (10-gallon per-vehicle paint limit, households in Carteret, Craven and Pamlico). Unresolved: no 2027 dates were posted; the county page says 'twice a year' but gives no fixed months; residency rules for the hazardous waste day come only from PaintCare's listing; the county says Craven County convenience centers take paint, but we did not confirm whether Carteret residents can use them; no paint limit is published for the April program; Morehead City's pages don't mention paint by name. Peer review Oct 16, 2026: the April 25 date comes from the county's April notice; its 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. time and Bridges Street location come only from PaintCare's listing. The Vashti Drive site also takes batteries.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Coastal Environmental Partnership: hazardous waste days and paint ↗Carteret County Solid Waste: accepted materials (latex paint in April only) ↗Carteret County: latex paint recycling program, April 2026 ↗Carteret County convenience site hours ↗Carteret County convenience site locations ↗Carteret County Solid Waste Division (site rules, who can use them) ↗Morehead City: materials the city's trash service won't take ↗Morehead City: garbage pickup (GFL Environmental) ↗Morehead City: preparing materials for collection ↗NC DEQ: permanent household hazardous waste collection facilities ↗NC DEQ: household hazardous waste (paint: air dry, mix with litter) ↗New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste (Wilmington comparison) ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗PaintCare program states (North and South Carolina not listed) ↗
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