Drop it off
Where Scranton residents can take paint:
- Lackawanna County Household Hazardous Waste Collection — The Pavilion at Montage Mountain (events only)1000 Montage Mountain Rd, Scranton, PA
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All drop-off locations in and near Scranton1
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Lackawanna County Household Hazardous Waste Collection — The Pavilion at Montage Mountain (events only)
1000 Montage Mountain Rd, Scranton, PA
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint, rust inhibitors, stains, turpentine and thinners. Also adhesives, automotive fluids such as motor oil and antifreeze, automotive, household and lithium batteries, fire extinguishers, floor and furniture polish, kerosene, gasoline and propane, rodent and other poisons, pool treatments, lawn treatments including herbicides and pesticides, driveway sealer, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks, liquid mercury, and household cleaners, bleach and other corrosive or flammable compounds. Latex paint is not accepted. Electric-vehicle batteries are not accepted.
- Who can use it
- Lackawanna County residents only. Pre-registration is required through the link on lackawannacounty.org or the QR code on the flyer.
- Hours
- Event days only; there are no standing drop-off hours. The county's 2026 collection is set for Saturday, October 31, 2026, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to its October 1, 2026 news release. The City of Scranton's events page shows the 2025 collection was held September 28, 2025, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the same Pavilion, with pre-registration opening August 1, 2025.
- Load limits
- Automotive fluids are limited to 5 gallons per container. Lawn treatments: the flyer says 40 lb. bags at most; the news release says 40 gallons per bag. No limit on paint is posted.
- Fees
- Neither the county's news release nor its flyer lists a fee. Ask when you register or call 570-963-2017.
Don't bring latex paint; the county says to dry it for the trash instead. Register before you go. The county office's own paint graphic says the only option for oil-based paint in Lackawanna County is to dry it out or absorb it and put it in the trash, but the 2026 event lists oil-based paint as accepted. The county hasn't explained the difference; call the Environmental Sustainability office at 570-963-2017 with questions. The office is at the Lackawanna County Government Center, 123 Wyoming Ave., 5th Floor, Scranton; that is not a drop-off site.
Lackawanna County: Household Hazardous Waste collection set for Oct. 31 (October 1, 2026) ↗Lackawanna County: 2026 Household Hazardous Waste event flyer (PDF) ↗Lackawanna County: Environmental Sustainability office ↗Lackawanna County Environmental Office: What to Do With Your Paint Waste (graphic) ↗City of Scranton events: Household Hazardous Waste Event, September 28, 2025 ↗
Which option fits your Scranton cleanout?4
Half-empty gallons of wall paint (latex)
Stir shredded newspaper, cat litter or a paint hardener into each can and let it dry completely. Then put it out with your Scranton trash. The county says to recycle the dried-out can; Scranton's blue bin list includes aluminum, tin and steel containers but doesn't name paint cans. Don't take latex to the county collection; it isn't accepted.
Cans of oil-based stain and a jug of thinner
The county's paint graphic says to dry oil-based paint in a well-ventilated area or absorb it with cat litter, then trash it. Thinner can be dried with cat litter, sawdust or shredded newspaper. If you live in Lackawanna County, the household hazardous waste collection set for October 31, 2026 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain takes oil-based paint, stains and thinners if you pre-register. Call the Environmental Office at 570-963-2017 with questions.
A box of used spray paint cans
The county Environmental Office says spray paint can go in the regular trash and that the empty cans can't be recycled. Keep them out of your blue bin.
A painting business clearing out its shop
The county collection is for Lackawanna County residents only. Under household hazardous waste, the county's hard-to-recycle list names Safety-Kleen Systems, commercial only (570-906-8311; the business must be a customer, and the fee varies by volume), and Datom Products Inc. (570-343-2878, fee applies). The list doesn't say whether either takes paint, so call before you load up.
Scranton rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Dry latex paint with shredded newspaper, cat litter or a paint hardener, then put it in your Scranton trash; the county says latex is not hazardous. For oil-based paint, the county's paint graphic says the only option is to dry it out or soak it up with cat litter and trash it, but its household hazardous waste collection set for October 31, 2026 takes oil-based paint from county residents who pre-register. Call the county Environmental Office at 570-963-2017 for disposal tips.
This guide is for Scranton, Pennsylvania, in Lackawanna County. Pennsylvania has no PaintCare program, and the county and city sources we reviewed list no year-round paint drop-off. The Lackawanna County Environmental Office says latex paint is not hazardous: dry it out and throw it away with your regular trash. For oil-based paint, the office's own paint graphic says the only option in the county is to dry it out or absorb it with cat litter and trash it. The county's household hazardous waste collection, set for October 31, 2026 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, does take oil-based paint (not latex) from county residents who pre-register.
Latex goes in the trash once it's dry
The Lackawanna County Environmental Office says latex paint is not hazardous and can go out with regular waste. Pour it into an absorbent such as shredded newspaper, paint hardener or cat litter, let it dry completely, then recycle the dried-out can. The same office says never to put liquid paint in the trash.
The October 31 county collection takes oil-based paint
Lackawanna County's household hazardous waste collection is set for Saturday, October 31, 2026, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road. It takes oil-based paint, rust inhibitors, stains, turpentine and thinners, but not latex paint. It is for Lackawanna County residents only, and you must pre-register. Neither the news release nor the flyer lists a fee. The 2025 collection was held September 28 at the same place.
The county's paint advice disagrees with itself
The county Environmental Office's paint graphic says oil-based paint, stains and varnishes are hazardous, yet the only option in Lackawanna County is to dry them out in a well-ventilated area, or absorb as much as you can with cat litter, and put them in the trash. Its 2026 collection, though, accepts oil-based paint, and PA DEP's paint flyer says to take oil-based paint to a household hazardous waste collection program if one is available. The county hasn't explained the difference. If you can register for the collection, it's an option; if not, call 570-963-2017 before using the dry-and-trash method.
Spray paint and thinner have their own rules
The county graphic says spray paint can go in the regular trash, but empty spray cans can NOT be recycled. For thinner, turpentine and mineral spirits, it says to add cat litter, sawdust or shredded newspaper to dry them, then put them out with household waste. PA DEP adds that clear thinner can be reused: let the solids settle in a closed container and pour off the clear liquid.
Businesses on the county's hard-to-recycle list
The county's hard-to-recycle list says to call its office at 570-963-2017 for paint disposal tips. Under household hazardous waste, it lists Datom Products Inc. (fee applies, 570-343-2878) and Safety-Kleen Systems, commercial only (570-906-8311; the business must be a customer, and the fee varies by volume). The City of Scranton's list also names Datom Products Inc. (fees apply). Neither list says whether these businesses take paint, or gives an address or hours. The county list asks you to call any business on it before you drop off.
Free pickup programs and other options
Give usable paint away first. The county graphic says to donate extra paint or keep it if you can't use it right away, and PA DEP's paint flyer suggests giving it to a neighbor or a community or religious group. PaintCare's locator data shows some Pennsylvania county collection events as non-program listings, but none in Lackawanna County, and no store take-back was found in the sources reviewed. The county's hard-to-recycle list sends paint questions to its office at 570-963-2017, and lists PA DEP at 570-826-2511 under household hazardous waste. The city says to email recycle@scrantonpa.gov for help or for information on upcoming household hazardous recycling events; its recycling flyer says the city hosts these events every year. DEP also keeps a statewide list of collection programs; the reviewed list had no Lackawanna County entry.
Getting your paint ready
For the county collection, register first; it is for Lackawanna County residents only and won't take latex. To dry latex at home, mix in shredded newspaper, cat litter or hardener and let it dry all the way through; the county says never to put liquid paint in the trash. Scranton asks that recycling bins go out no more than 24 hours ahead and before 6 a.m. on pickup day. Store paint you plan to keep tightly closed; the county suggests small amounts in a tightly sealed glass jar and larger amounts in the original container.
Full preparation checklist →Scranton questions5
Can I throw latex paint in the trash in Scranton, PA?
Yes, once it's dry. The Lackawanna County Environmental Office says latex is not hazardous. Dry it with shredded newspaper, cat litter or hardener first. Liquid paint should never go in the trash.
Where do I take oil-based paint in Scranton?
The county's paint graphic says the only option for oil-based paint in Lackawanna County is to dry it out or absorb it with cat litter and put it in the trash. But the county's household hazardous waste collection, set for October 31, 2026 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., accepts oil-based paint from county residents who pre-register. Call 570-963-2017 with questions.
Does the county collection take latex paint?
No. Both the 2026 flyer and the county's news release say latex paint is not accepted. Dry it for the trash instead.
Can I recycle the empty paint can?
The county says to recycle a dried-out latex can. Scranton's blue bin takes aluminum, tin and steel bottles and containers, though the city's flyer doesn't name paint cans. Empty spray paint cans are different: the county says they can't be recycled.
What can a contractor or landlord do with paint in Scranton?
The county collection is for Lackawanna County residents only. The county's hard-to-recycle list names Safety-Kleen Systems (commercial only, 570-906-8311) and Datom Products Inc. (fee applies, 570-343-2878) under household hazardous waste. It doesn't say whether either takes paint, so call first.
Sources and how we checked13
Checked October 17, 2026 from Lackawanna County's October 1, 2026 news release, its 2026 household hazardous waste flyer, the Environmental Sustainability page, the office's 2026 hard-to-recycle list and its paint graphics; the City of Scranton's refuse and recycling, hard-to-recycle and 2025 event pages and its residential recycling flyer; PA DEP's paint flyer and household hazardous waste pages; and data/paintcare/sites.json (no PaintCare record in Lackawanna County; Pennsylvania entries there are non-program listings). No calls or visits. Conflicts: the county paint graphic says the only option for oil-based paint is to dry it for the trash, while the 2026 collection accepts oil-based paint; the news release says lawn treatments up to 40 gallons per bag, the flyer says 40 lb. bags. The hard-to-recycle lists name Datom Products and Safety-Kleen under household hazardous waste without saying whether they take paint. Unresolved: whether the collection charges a fee; the next date after October 31, 2026; Datom Products' address, hours and paint rules (its website did not load); and whether Scranton's own trash rules say anything about dried paint. The Lackawanna County Recycling Center was not used because no current official page on paint was found.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Lackawanna County: Household Hazardous Waste collection set for Oct. 31 (October 1, 2026) ↗Lackawanna County: 2026 Household Hazardous Waste event flyer (PDF) ↗Lackawanna County: Environmental Sustainability office ↗Lackawanna County Environmental Office: What to Do With Your Paint Waste (graphic) ↗Lackawanna County Environmental Office: Hard to Recycle or Properly Dispose List, 2026 update (PDF) ↗City of Scranton: Bureau of Refuse and Recycling ↗City of Scranton: Hard-to-Recycle Items ↗City of Scranton: Residential Recycling Information (PDF) ↗City of Scranton events: Household Hazardous Waste Event, September 28, 2025 ↗PA DEP: paint disposal tips (PDF) ↗PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs ↗PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
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