Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Chippewa County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events · Northern Wisconsin State FairgroundsHazardous waste site10.3 mi
Eau Claire, WI Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Eau Claire3
Start with these
Eau Claire County Clean Sweep events at WRR Environmental Services
5200 Ryder Rd, Eau Claire, WI 54703
- Accepts
- Free: oil-based paint, stain, varnish, thinners, strippers, solvents and aerosol cans. For a fee: latex paint.
- Who can use it
- Eau Claire County residents only. Businesses, farms and very small businesses that make hazardous waste call WRR at 715-834-9624 for their own appointment.
- Hours
- Event days only. The 2026 events were May 16, July 25 and September 12, all already past. 2027 dates were not posted as of October 7, 2026.
- Load limits
- No electronics (except light bulbs), pool chemicals, or business, farm or institutional waste. No gallon limit was published.
- Fees
- Free for oil-based paint and most hazardous items. Latex paint costs $4 a gallon.
WRR runs the county’s three events each year. If you can’t wait for the 2027 events, ask WRR what a private appointment costs.
Chippewa County Clean Sweep at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds
225 Edward St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
- Accepts
- Oil- and solvent-based paint, thinners, strippers, stains, varnish, wood preservatives and aerosol cans. Latex paint is not accepted.
- Who can use it
- Chippewa County residents only. No commercial or industrial waste.
- Hours
- Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–noon. The other 2026 event, April 25, has passed.
- Load limits
- Products must be in original containers or clearly identified. Don’t mix products. No latex paint, empty or dry containers, or business waste.
- Fees
- Free for Chippewa County residents.
Pack products in a cardboard box lined with a plastic bag, or separate them with folded newspaper. Call the Chippewa County Recycling Program at 715-726-7999 with questions.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Eau Claire.
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.
Chippewa County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events · Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds
10.3 mi225 Edwards St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Chippewa County
- Hours
- Saturdays: April 25, October 10, 2026. 8 am - 12 pm.
- Limits
- All products must be in original containers or positively identified for liability and safety reasons. Do not mix substances together. Line a cardboard box with a plastic bag or separate each product with folded newspaper.
- Products
- This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers or latex paint.
- Notes
- Disposal is free of charge. For small amounts of paint: Remove the lid and let the paint dry in the can. Stir the paint occasionally to speed drying. Or, brush paint in layers on newspaper or cardboard. When the paint is completely dried, set out with yoyur weekly garbage leaving the lid off so the hauler can see the paint is dry,
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Which option fits your Eau Claire cleanout?4
You have a few cans of leftover latex
Take the lids off and let them dry, stirring now and then, or brush the paint out on cardboard. Once it’s solid, put it in your trash. That avoids the $4-a-gallon Clean Sweep fee.
You have oil-based stain and it’s October
Eau Claire County’s last 2026 event was September 12. Keep the cans sealed in a cool, dry place and check the county’s Clean Sweep page for 2027 dates.
Your home is in the Chippewa County part of Eau Claire
Go to Chippewa County’s Clean Sweep on Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–noon, at 225 Edward Street in Chippewa Falls. Oil-based paint is free. Spray cans are taken too. Leave latex at home.
You can’t wait until next spring
Call WRR Environmental Services at 715-834-9624 and ask about a private appointment and its cost. No price is published.
Eau Claire rules and tips4
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Dry latex paint and put it in your trash; there’s no Eau Claire County Clean Sweep left in 2026, and latex costs $4 a gallon there anyway. Store oil-based paint until the county’s 2027 events at WRR, 5200 Ryder Road. If you live in the Chippewa County part of the city, its free event is Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–noon in Chippewa Falls.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin has no year-round paint drop-off. Eau Claire County holds three Clean Sweep events a year at WRR Environmental Services on Ryder Road, and all three 2026 events have passed. Part of the city is in Chippewa County, which has its own event.
Eau Claire County’s 2026 events are over
The county’s 2026 Clean Sweeps were May 16, July 25 and September 12 at 5200 Ryder Road. All have passed. Store oil-based paint safely until the 2027 dates are posted.
Latex costs $4 a gallon at Clean Sweep
Oil-based paint, stain and varnish are free at the county events. Latex paint costs $4 a gallon, so drying small amounts at home saves money.
Chippewa County side: October 10, 2026
If your Eau Claire home is in Chippewa County, its next free Clean Sweep is Saturday, October 10, 2026, 8 a.m.–noon at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in Chippewa Falls. It takes oil-based paint and aerosol cans, but not latex.
Ask your hauler, not the city
Eau Claire doesn’t run its own garbage pickup. You pay a licensed private hauler. Ask your hauler how it wants dried latex cans set out.
Free pickup programs and other options
Wisconsin has no PaintCare program, so stores don’t take paint back for free. For latex, the Wisconsin DNR says to dry it until solid and put it in the trash. Chippewa County suggests leaving the lid off and stirring now and then, or brushing it out in layers on cardboard. If you can’t wait for an event, WRR Environmental Services (715-834-9624) may do a private appointment; ask about the cost first.
Getting your paint ready
Until the next event, store oil-based paint in its original cans with tight lids, away from heat and out of children’s reach. On event day, pack cans upright in a box. For Chippewa County’s event, line the box with a plastic bag or separate products with folded newspaper.
Full preparation checklist →Eau Claire questions4
When is the next Clean Sweep in Eau Claire?
Eau Claire County’s three 2026 events (May 16, July 25 and September 12) have passed, and 2027 dates weren’t posted as of October 7, 2026. Chippewa County’s last 2026 event is October 10, for Chippewa County residents only.
How much does it cost to get rid of latex paint?
$4 a gallon at Eau Claire County Clean Sweep. Drying it and putting it in the trash costs nothing.
Is oil-based paint free?
Yes, at Eau Claire County Clean Sweep events, for county residents. It’s also free at Chippewa County’s event for Chippewa County residents.
I run a painting business. Can I bring paint to Clean Sweep?
No. The events are for county residents only. Businesses call WRR Environmental Services at 715-834-9624 for their own appointment.
Sources and how we checked7
October 7, 2026: read Eau Claire County’s specialty recycling page (Clean Sweep dates, free and fee lists, residents only, WRR contact), the Chippewa County 2026 Clean Sweep schedule PDF, the Wisconsin Municipal Data System entry showing the city is in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties, the City of Eau Claire trash hauling page and the Wisconsin DNR household hazardous waste page. The county’s old Clean Sweep URL now returns a 404. 715Newsroom (September 2, 2026) confirms September 12 was the last 2026 event. Peer review (October 7, 2026) removed a “saves more than $100” quote that only a news site carried, and corrected aerosol cans at Chippewa County: the 2026 flyer lists them under “Do bring”. Not found: 2027 Eau Claire County dates, WRR’s price for a private household appointment, any year-round drop-off for residents, and whether the Chippewa Valley Habitat ReStore takes paint. Chippewa County’s October 10 event is within 21 days; recheck after it passes.
Checked October 7, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Eau Claire County specialty recycling programs (Clean Sweep) ↗715Newsroom: last Eau Claire County Clean Sweep of 2026 (September 2, 2026) ↗Chippewa County 2026 Clean Sweep schedule (PDF) ↗Wisconsin Municipal Data System: City of Eau Claire ↗City of Eau Claire trash hauling ↗Wisconsin DNR household hazardous waste ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
