Drop it off
Where Big Spring residents can take paint:
- Big Sandy Landfill (City of Big Spring)3601 Old Colorado City Highway, Big Spring, TX 79720
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All drop-off locations in and near Big Spring1
Start with these
Big Sandy Landfill (City of Big Spring)
3601 Old Colorado City Highway, Big Spring, TX 79720
- Accepts
- The city’s landfill for public and commercial waste since July 2021, when it replaced the East FM 700 landfill. The fee page lists limbs and brush, large items and extra household trash. Free wood chips for mulch are available during open hours. In June 2025 the city said metal debris could be dropped here free at any time. No city page says whether paint, liquid or dried, is taken.
- Who can use it
- City of Big Spring and Howard County residents with two forms of proof of residence, such as a driver’s license and a utility bill, with matching name, address and photo. Commercial contractors re-roofing a house must show their building permit. Private haulers bringing waste from outside city limits need a $500-per-vehicle permit from the City Manager.
- Hours
- Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Sunday.
- Load limits
- Waste must come from the City of Big Spring or Howard County; other waste is turned away. Loads must be secured with straps, ropes or a tarp. Any waste that needs special handling requires the City Manager’s written approval first.
- Fees
- Fee page: limbs and brush, and large items or extra household trash, $50.80 a ton; unsecured load $15; special waste $100; a $1.25 environmental fee per residential or commercial unit. The city’s FAQ and private-collector page still give $46.92 a ton. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
Not a paint drop-off. Call 432-264-2383 before bringing any paint. The Sanitation page still says its office is at the old landfill, 4100 East FM 700, but the Landfill page says that site is permanently closed.
City of Big Spring: Landfill (Big Sandy Landfill hours, address, payment) ↗City of Big Spring: Landfill Fees (proof of residence, rates) ↗City of Big Spring: Frequently Asked Questions (landfill, permits, code enforcement) ↗City of Big Spring: Landfill Permit – Private Collectors ↗City of Big Spring: Sanitation ↗KOSA First Alert 7: New landfill opening in Big Spring (July 26, 2021) ↗KOSA First Alert 7: Big Spring announces storm damage debris program (June 11, 2025) ↗
Which option fits your Big Spring cleanout?4
A few nearly empty cans of wall paint
TCEQ’s advice works here: with less than a quarter of paint left, take the lid off and let the can dry in a well-ventilated area for a few days. TCEQ says the dry can may then go in the trash. Don’t put the cans in your bulk pile.
Unopened gallons left after a remodel
Give them to a friend, relative or neighbor who can use them, as TCEQ suggests. No reuse shelf or ReStore with a paint policy was found in Big Spring. Call the Big Sandy Landfill at 432-264-2383 before hauling any paint there.
Oil-based paint and thinner in the shed
No hazardous waste collection serving Howard County was found. Keep the containers sealed, labeled and upright. Ask Public Works (432-264-2501) or the landfill (432-264-2383) what to do. The Odessa facility takes paint, but PaintCare’s non-program listing (not Odessa’s own page) says it is for Odessa and Ector County households.
Leftover paint from a commercial job
Bulk pickup is for homes only and refuses paint. The landfill charges commercial loads by the ton, needs a building permit for re-roofing debris, and requires the City Manager’s written approval for any waste that needs special handling. Call 432-264-2383 before you load paint.
Big Spring rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Call the Big Sandy Landfill at 432-264-2383 before you haul any paint; no City of Big Spring page says whether it takes paint. Don’t set paint out for Large/Bulk Item Pickup, which lists paint as not accepted. For a can less than a quarter full, TCEQ says to let it dry with the lid off; the dry can may then go in the trash. Give usable paint to friends or neighbors, as TCEQ suggests.
None of the City of Big Spring pages we read shows a household hazardous waste drop-off or collection day, and TCEQ’s September 2026 statewide list has no Howard County entry. The city’s bulk pickup refuses paint, and no city page says whether the Big Sandy Landfill takes it. Texas has no PaintCare program, so no stores here take paint through PaintCare. That leaves drying small amounts, giving usable paint away, and calling the city before you haul anything.
Bulk pickup won’t take paint
The city’s free Large/Bulk Item Pickup takes furniture, mattresses, appliances (no refrigerators or air conditioners), doors, carpet, scrap metal and brush. Its not-accepted list names paint, hazardous chemicals and petroleum products, tires and electronics. It runs on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026, for residential customers only. Call Public Works at 432-264-2501 to get on the list.
The landfill wants two proofs of address
Big Sandy Landfill, 3601 Old Colorado City Highway, takes waste only from Big Spring and Howard County. You need two forms of proof of residence, such as a driver’s license and a utility bill, with matching name, address and photo. Secure the load with straps, ropes or a tarp, or pay $15. Hours are Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Old landfill, new landfill
The East FM 700 landfill closed for good in July 2021, when Big Sandy opened. The city later used the old site at 4100 East FM 700 for free storm-debris drop-off on June 11–13, 2025. The Sanitation page still lists its office there. Don’t bring paint to FM 700; call 432-264-2383 if you’re unsure where to go.
Fees differ between city pages
The Landfill Fees page charges $50.80 a ton for brush, large items and extra household trash. The city’s FAQ and private-collector permit page still say $46.92 a ton. Ask the landfill at 432-264-2383 which rate applies. Commercial contractors re-roofing a house must show their building permit to dump.
Don’t dump it in an alley or out in the county
Many Big Spring homes share alley trash containers, and the city requires everyone in city limits to use its trash service. The city’s Code Enforcement officers investigate illegal dumping, including hazardous materials, and can act outside city limits. Report dumping or ask questions at 432-264-2505.
Free pickup programs and other options
Texas has no PaintCare program. PaintCare’s locator data has no non-program listings in Big Spring or Howard County. TCEQ’s September 2026 list of household hazardous waste programs has no Howard County entry. One program in the region is the Keep Odessa Beautiful Facility, 814 W. 42nd St., Odessa (432-335-4686). Its household hazardous waste list includes paint, in containers of 5 gallons or smaller. Odessa’s own pages don’t say who can use that service. PaintCare’s non-program listing, which is PaintCare-only information, says it is for households only (no businesses) in Odessa and Ector Counties and doesn’t take empty, dry or leaking paint containers. Call before driving over. TCEQ says it doesn’t track collections of only latex paint, oil, batteries and antifreeze, and to ask your city. No paint-reuse shelf or ReStore with a paint policy was found in Big Spring.
Getting your paint ready
TCEQ says to keep paint in its original container with a readable label, never mix products, and carry containers upright and secured so they can’t leak. To save good paint, cover the opening with plastic wrap, press the lid on tight and store the can upside down. For a can less than a quarter full, take the lid off and leave it in a well-ventilated area; TCEQ says it will dry in a few days and the dry can may go in the trash. No Big Spring page adds its own drying rule.
Full preparation checklist →Big Spring questions5
Is there a hazardous waste day in Big Spring?
The sources we checked don’t show one. No City of Big Spring page lists one, and TCEQ’s September 2026 statewide list has no Howard County entry. Ask Public Works at 432-264-2501.
Can I put paint out for bulk pickup?
No. The city’s Large/Bulk Item Pickup lists paint, hazardous chemicals and petroleum products as not accepted. The free pickup runs on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026, for residential customers who call Public Works at 432-264-2501 to get on the list.
Does the Big Sandy Landfill take paint?
The city’s pages don’t say. They cover brush, large items, extra household trash and metal, and require two proofs of Big Spring or Howard County residence. Call 432-264-2383 before you go.
Can I take paint to Odessa or Midland?
Odessa’s Keep Odessa Beautiful Facility takes paint. Odessa’s page doesn’t say who can use it; only PaintCare’s non-program listing says it serves households in Odessa and Ector Counties. Call 432-335-4686 first. TCEQ’s September 2026 list has no Midland County entry.
Do I need a permit to repaint my house?
No. The city’s FAQ lists house painting among cosmetic projects that don’t need a permit. Re-roofing, siding and remodels do.
Sources and how we checked13
October 17, 2026: read the City of Big Spring Landfill, Landfill Fees, Sanitation, Large/Bulk Item Pickup, private-collector permit and FAQ pages; KOSA’s July 2021 report on the Big Sandy opening and June 2025 storm-debris report; TCEQ’s household hazardous waste page and September 2026 county list (no Howard County entry); and the City of Odessa facility page. PaintCare’s locator data has no Big Spring records; its Odessa listing is a non-program listing. KBST posts about 2025 tire and e-waste days now return errors and weren’t used. Searches found no Keep Big Spring Beautiful, Howard County or Habitat paint program. Unresolved: whether Big Sandy takes liquid or dried paint; any hazardous waste day; the correct per-ton fee ($50.80 vs $46.92); whether the Sanitation office is still at 4100 East FM 700; whether Howard County residents can use the Odessa facility. We made no phone calls.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
City of Big Spring: Landfill (Big Sandy Landfill hours, address, payment) ↗City of Big Spring: Landfill Fees (proof of residence, rates) ↗City of Big Spring: Sanitation ↗City of Big Spring: Large/Bulk Item Pickup ↗City of Big Spring: Frequently Asked Questions (landfill, permits, code enforcement) ↗City of Big Spring: Landfill Permit – Private Collectors ↗KOSA First Alert 7: New landfill opening in Big Spring (July 26, 2021) ↗KOSA First Alert 7: Big Spring announces storm damage debris program (June 11, 2025) ↗TCEQ: Household Hazardous Waste (storage tips, drying nearly empty paint cans, BOPA note) ↗TCEQ: Contacts for Texas Household Hazardous Waste Programs, listed by county (PDF, September 2026) ↗City of Odessa: Keep Odessa Beautiful Facility services (household hazardous waste) ↗City of Odessa: Keep Odessa Beautiful (814 W. 42nd Street, 432-335-4686) ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
