Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Columbia.
1070 Caughman Road North, Columbia, SC 29203
Trailers over 8 feet must use this site, not Lower Richland.
10531 Garners Ferry Road, Eastover, SC 29044
It’s in Eastover, just south of Mr. Bunky’s store on Highway 76/378. The Clemson Road recycling site in Northeast Columbia does not take paint.
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.
1966 US Hwy 21 S, Ridgeway, SC 29130
1936 US Hwy 321 S, Winnsboro, SC 29180
1622 Scotts Crossing Rd, Winnsboro, SC 29180
10646 River Rd, Ridgeway, SC 29130
145 Fire Tower Circle, Jenkinsville, SC 29065
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
If it’s latex, take up to 5 gallons to Caughman Road or Lower Richland. Or, for small amounts, mix in cat litter until it’s hard and put it in your trash, as SC DES suggests.
Don’t bring these to the drop-off centers; they turn away hazardous waste. Keep the cans sealed and call 803-576-2440 to find the next county hazardous materials event.
Richland County treats items from rental properties as commercial. Call 803-576-2390 to set up an account and ask about fees before you haul paint in.
You’re in Lexington County. Dry latex to the bottom of the can for the trash, and take oil-based paint to a Lexington County hazardous waste event (up to 8 gallons). Call 803-755-3325.
Take latex paint to Richland County’s drop-off at 1070 Caughman Road North (Monday–Friday 7–4:30, Saturday 7–12:30), up to 5 gallons, with proof you live in the county. Oil-based paint and stain aren’t taken there; save them for a county hazardous materials event (803-576-2440). Small amounts of latex can also be dried and put in the trash.
This guide is for Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County (not Columbia, Maryland or Missouri). Richland County takes latex paint for free at two drop-off centers: the C&D Landfill on Caughman Road and Lower Richland in Eastover. Oil-based paint, stain and solvents aren’t taken there. The county collects them only at special hazardous materials events.
The C&D Landfill drop-off at 1070 Caughman Road North is open Monday–Friday 7–4:30 and Saturday 7–12:30. It takes latex paint free from Richland County residents. The county says the limit is 5 gallons; SC DES’s listing says 5 cans of any size per day.
Richland County doesn’t take oil-based paint, stain or solvents at its drop-off centers. It collects them at special events held during the year. Call 803-576-2440 or check the county’s Solid Waste app for the next date.
The Clemson Road recycling site in Northeast Columbia takes only cans, glass and plastic bottles and jars, cardboard and cooking oil. For paint, drive to Caughman Road or Lower Richland.
Free drop-off is only for items from your main home. Paint from rental units, second homes or businesses falls under the commercial rules, with an account, a business license and tipping fees. Call 803-576-2390.
If you live in West Columbia, Cayce or another Lexington County town, Richland County’s centers aren’t for you. Lexington County says to dry latex completely for the trash, and takes up to 8 gallons of liquid paint per household at its hazardous waste events.
South Carolina has no PaintCare program, so paint stores don’t take it back for free. The City of Columbia’s Public Works building at 2910 Colonial Drive takes electronics, bulbs and batteries, but its drop-off page doesn’t list paint. SC DES says you can also dry latex paint and put it in your household trash, or give usable paint to a school, theater group or community group.
Keep latex paint in sealed, labeled cans and count them before you go, since the county caps paint per visit. Bring proof that you live in Richland County. For trash disposal, SC DES says to mix in an equal amount of clay cat litter, let it harden, then put the lid back on.
Full preparation checklist →No. The drop-off centers turn away hazardous waste. Oil-based paint, stain and solvents go to the county’s special collection events. Call 803-576-2440 for the next one.
Richland County’s page says 5 gallons. SC DES’s listing says 5 cans of any size per household per day. Bring 5 gallons or less to be safe, and you can visit up to four times a month.
SC DES says dried latex paint can go in household trash. The City of Columbia pages we checked don’t give a paint rule. If you’re unsure, call the city at 803-545-3800 (the number SC DES lists for Columbia’s recycling program).
Yes, for Richland County residents bringing items from their main home. Commercial users pay tipping fees.
Richland County Solid Waste & Recycling at 803-576-2440, or the Caughman Road site at 803-576-2390.
October 7, 2026: read Richland County’s Drop-Off Centers and Know Where It Goes pages (opened in a browser), SC DES’s Richland County listing and “What can I recycle” page, the City of Columbia Public Works drop-off page, and Lexington County’s paint instructions PDF (undated). Peer review the same day re-read the county pages in a browser: both drop-off centers list “Latex paint (limit 5 gallons)” and turn away hazardous waste; oil-based paint, stains and solvents go to special collection events (“Check the app or call 803-576-2440”); and visits are capped at four a month. Not resolved: the latex limit (county says 5 gallons; SC DES says 5 cans of any size per household per day); the date of the next Richland County hazardous materials event (no 2026 event is posted on the county site; the event pages found in search were from 2024 and 2025 and would not load); what counts as proof of residency; and the City of Columbia’s own rule on dried paint in carts. No paint reuse store was confirmed. PaintCare’s South Carolina reference list has no Richland County sites.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
