Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in McAlester.
301 E. Polk Ave., McAlester, OK
The 2026 hazardous waste day has passed, and no 2027 date was posted. KMB’s office is at 119 E. Choctaw Ave., Suite 102 (kmb@keepmcalesterbeautiful.com). The Recycling Center itself is a 24-hour drive-through for paper, cardboard, #1 and #2 plastics, glass, cooking oil and aluminum cans; paint isn’t on that list.
256 Mitchell Road, McAlester, OK
Not a paint drop-off; chemicals are refused. Address conflict: the city’s page says 256 Mitchell Road north of Highway 270, while KMB’s 2023 and 2024 cleanup Q&As say 2910 Mitchell Road, off U.S. Highway 270 West.
Pop the lid off and let the liquid dry to a solid. If it takes too long, KMB says to dump in some really cheap cat litter and let that dry. When it’s hard, put it in your bagged household trash for Republic Services.
Keep them sealed in their original cans, as Oklahoma DEQ advises. In 2023, KMB told people to save oil-based or aerosol paint for the April hazardous waste day. The 2026 one was April 25 at 301 E. Polk Ave.
Bulk junk can go to the city landfill (8 a.m. to noon weekdays, $10 for loads under 500 pounds) if you’re a city resident with a water bill and ID. Leave paint and chemicals out of that load. Dry the latex; hold oil-based paint for KMB’s April collection.
The landfill refuses commercial and contractor waste, and KMB’s cleanups are closed to businesses. No business paint option was found in McAlester. Oklahoma DEQ’s listed sites are in Norman, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Midwest City; ask before you go.
Dry latex paint and put it in your household trash: KMB says to pop the lid off and let the liquid dry to a solid; if it takes too long, dump in some really cheap cat litter and let that dry, then toss it. Save oil-based and spray paint for KMB’s household hazardous waste day during the April Spring Cleanup at 301 E. Polk Ave.; the 2026 one was April 25. Bring a water bill showing a McAlester address. Call KMB at 918-424-9988 for the 2027 date.
McAlester, Oklahoma has no year-round paint drop-off. Keep McAlester Beautiful (KMB) takes household hazardous waste, including oil-based paint, on one day of its April Spring Cleanup; in 2026 that was April 25. For latex, KMB says to let it dry to a solid, dumping in some really cheap cat litter if that takes too long, and toss it in your household trash. The city landfill on Mitchell Road refuses chemicals, and Oklahoma has no PaintCare program.
KMB’s Spring Cleanup runs weekends in April at the McAlester Recycling Center, 301 E. Polk Ave. Household hazardous waste is taken on only one day. In 2026 that was April 25. In 2024, KMB said it was the last Saturday in April, and listed cleaners, automotive fluids, yard products, pesticides and oil-based paints.
KMB’s cleanup page says to pop the lid off latex paint and let the liquid dry to a solid. If it takes too long, dump in some really cheap cat litter and let that dry. Once it’s a solid, toss it in your household trash. Republic Services collects city trash, and all trash must be bagged inside the polycart.
The 2026 Fall Cleanup ran October 3, 4, 10 and 11 and took bulk trash, metal, appliances, tires and electronics. In 2023, KMB said it wasn’t taking hazardous materials in the fall and told people to save oil-based or aerosol paint for April. The 2023 Fall and 2024 Spring cleanups also took latex paint, calling it non-toxic.
The landfill takes waste only from people living within McAlester city limits, who must show a water bill and ID. KMB’s cleanups are also for city residents, free, and closed to businesses. Pittsburg County residents outside the city aren’t covered by either, and no county paint program was found.
The city landfill takes bulk waste, brush and metal, 8 a.m. to noon weekdays and on the second Saturday of each month. It does not take appliances, electronics or "hazardous waste such as chemicals." Since Jan. 2, 2026, loads under 500 pounds cost $10 and heavier loads 2 cents a pound. The city lists the landfill at 256 Mitchell Road, north of Highway 270, but KMB’s 2023 and 2024 cleanup Q&As say 2910 Mitchell Road, off U.S. Highway 270 West; ask the city which to use.
Oklahoma has no PaintCare program, and PaintCare’s locator data has no non-program listings in McAlester or Pittsburg County. Oklahoma DEQ’s household hazardous waste sheet lists four facilities: Norman, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Midwest City. It says they take items from surrounding communities for a small fee, but Oklahoma City’s page names only nearby towns such as Edmond, Moore and Yukon; McAlester isn’t listed. Call before driving. KMB’s recycling list sends car batteries, CFL bulbs and plastic bags to local stores, but names no store that takes paint. The Recycling Center at 301 E. Polk Ave. takes paper, cardboard, glass, #1 and #2 plastics, cooking oil and aluminum cans, not paint.
Oklahoma DEQ says to keep household hazardous waste in its original containers and not mix products, and to handle even empty containers with care. For latex, follow KMB’s drying steps. For the April collection, bring a water bill or other proof of a city address. Use KMB’s route: come down Sixth Street, then go west on East Polk Avenue. KMB says to bring someone to help unload, because volunteers may be few.
Full preparation checklist →Only at KMB’s household hazardous waste day during the April Spring Cleanup, at 301 E. Polk Ave. The 2026 one was April 25. Call 918-424-9988 for next year’s date.
Yes, once it’s solid. KMB says to pop the lid off and let the liquid dry to a solid; if it takes too long, dump in some really cheap cat litter and let that dry. Then toss it in your household trash.
The city page doesn’t name paint, but it says hazardous waste such as chemicals is not accepted. The landfill is for city residents only, with a water bill and ID.
KMB’s 2026 Fall Cleanup list named bulk trash, metal, appliances, tires and electronics, not paint or hazardous waste. In 2023, KMB told people to save oil-based and aerosol paint for April.
The city landfill and KMB cleanups are for people living within McAlester city limits. No county paint program was found. Ask KMB at 918-424-9988 or kmb@keepmcalesterbeautiful.com.
October 17, 2026: read the City of McAlester Solid Waste and Recycling page; city news on landfill fees (Dec. 2025), regular landfill hours (Aug. 2025), the final weekend of the 2025 Spring Cleanup, and KMB’s 2023 Fall, 2024 Spring and 2024 Fall Cleanup Q&As; KMB’s 2026 Spring and Fall Cleanup posts, cleanup page, recycling page and contact page; Oklahoma DEQ’s household hazardous waste sheet; and the Oklahoma City collection center page. PaintCare’s locator data has no McAlester records. A McAlester radio post on an earlier collection is no longer online and wasn’t used. Unresolved: the 2027 hazardous waste date; whether latex is still taken at cleanups (2023–2024 yes; the 2026 fall list doesn’t say); the landfill’s street number (256 vs 2910 Mitchell Road) and phone; any option for county residents or businesses. We made no phone calls.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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