Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Winston-Salem.
1401 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27107
Across from Bowman Gray Stadium. Pack cans in a cardboard box lined with newspaper, keep them in their original labeled containers, and don’t mix products. Ask the attendant if you need help unloading. The city’s Stormwater Division and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities provide the service.
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.
1401 S Martin Luther King Jr, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
1401 E Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, High Point, NC 27260
220 Davidson County Landfill Rd, Lexington, NC 27292
2750 Patterson St, Greensboro, NC 27407
1102 N Long St Extension, East Spencer, NC 28039
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
The city says to keep paint in its original container. If the label can’t be read and you know for certain what’s inside, write it on the can. If you aren’t sure, call 336-784-4300 before you go.
A 5-gallon container is the largest the EnviroStation takes. Bring it sealed and labeled. Anything bigger won’t be accepted, so ask at 336-784-4300 first.
The site is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Store the cans somewhere cool and out of reach of kids, and go Wednesday after 9 a.m.
The EnviroStation doesn’t take empty containers. The city says to put them in your regular trash.
Take paint to the free 3RC EnviroStation, 1401 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Bring a driver’s license that shows a Forsyth County address. Latex, oil-based and spray paint are all taken in containers of 5 gallons or less.
In Winston-Salem, paint goes to the city’s 3RC EnviroStation on South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, across from Bowman Gray Stadium. It is free for anyone who lives in Forsyth County and takes latex, oil-based and spray paint in containers of 5 gallons or less. It is open only Wednesday to Saturday.
The EnviroStation is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. It is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, so a Monday cleanout means waiting a couple of days.
The attendant asks for a driver’s license showing you live in Forsyth County and has you fill out a short form before you unload.
Every container must hold 5 gallons or less. Empty containers aren’t taken; the city says to put them in your regular trash.
The site closes on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday and Saturday after it, plus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If Christmas falls on a Friday, the Saturday after is closed too.
If the paint is still usable, give it to a neighbor or a group that can use it. If something you want to drop off isn’t on the city’s list, call 336-784-4300 first; the city says it may be fine in the regular trash. There is no PaintCare program in North Carolina, so paint stores here don’t take old paint back.
Keep paint in its original labeled cans and don’t mix products. If a label is gone and you’re sure what’s inside, write it on the can. Set the cans in a cardboard box lined with newspaper. Bring your driver’s license.
Full preparation checklist →Both. The city’s list includes latex, acrylic, oil-based and lead-based paint, spray paint, stain, varnish and paint thinner.
No. The city says Forsyth County residents can drop off household hazardous waste at no charge.
Yes. The city says the service is free for all Forsyth County residents. Bring a driver’s license that shows your Forsyth County address.
No. The city’s brochure lists non-residential waste as not accepted, and PaintCare’s listing says households only. Use a licensed hazardous waste company.
No. The EnviroStation needs proof of Forsyth County residency. Check your own county’s program.
October 13, 2026: read the City of Winston-Salem 3RC EnviroStation page, its accepted-items list, holiday closures page and January 2024 brochure (free for Forsyth residents, license and short form, containers 5 gallons or less, empty containers to regular trash, non-residential waste refused, run by the Stormwater Division and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities), Forsyth County’s environmental assistance page (across from Bowman Gray Stadium), NC DEQ’s facility list and PaintCare’s locator data (households only, no empty, dry or leaking cans). The city page gives ZIP 27107; PaintCare lists 27101. We used the city’s. Not found: any total paint limit, any city rule on drying latex for the trash, a business hazardous waste option, and any paint reuse shelf. We did not compute 2026 holiday dates; the site lists rules, not dates. We removed an earlier tip about Kernersville because no source we read says which county each part of the town is in.
Checked October 13, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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