Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Oneida County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program · Oneida County Solide Waste DepartmentHazardous waste site6.2 mi
Rhinelander, WI Paint Disposal
Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Rhinelander.
NOW AVAILABLE IN RHINELANDER
Paint recycling pickup. Book online.
Book a pickup $89 minimum · No next-day surcharge
All drop-off locations in and near Rhinelander2
Start with these
Oneida County Solid Waste permanent hazardous waste collection site
7450 County Hwy K, Rhinelander, WI 54501
- Accepts
- Latex, oil-based and lead-based paint, stain, varnish and other finishes, paint thinner, strippers, old fuel, aerosol cans holding these products, plus pesticides, acids, pool chlorine, wood preservatives and mercury.
- Who can use it
- The county page says the site takes hazardous waste from anyone except small and large quantity generators (larger businesses). PaintCare's listing says Oneida County households only, no businesses. Vilas and Forest counties run their Clean Sweep through Oneida County, per the state's list. Call 715-282-4944 if you live outside Oneida County or run a business.
- Hours
- Hazardous waste: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. only. (The Solid Waste Department itself is open Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m.–noon.)
- Load limits
- Not accepted: asbestos, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials, and unknowns. PaintCare's listing (not the county) adds that empty, dry or leaking paint cans are not taken.
- Fees
- Paints and flammables (stain, varnish, solvent, thinner, gas): $1.85 a pound. Pesticides, acids and other lab-pack items: $3.75 a pound. Mercury: $4.95 a pound. Prices can change without notice.
Paint is paid for by weight, latex included, so a carload adds up. Drying latex at home costs nothing. The site has been open since November 1999.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Rhinelander.
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.
Oneida County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program · Oneida County Solide Waste Department
6.2 mi7450 County Hwy K, Rhinelander, WI 54501
- Who
- Households Only (No Businesses) in Oneida County
- Hours
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 am -3 pm Onlyl.
- Limits
- Rates vary please check the website or call for specifics.
- Products
- This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers.
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 Rhinelander cleanout?4
You have a few gallons of oil-based stain from the cabin deck
Bring it midweek to County Hwy K and expect to pay by weight. Keep the lids on and the cans upright.
You have a stack of old latex wall paint
Drying is cheaper than paying by the pound. Let thin layers harden or mix in cat litter, then put the cans in the trash.
You are closing a cottage in Vilas or Forest County
Those counties partner with Oneida County for Clean Sweep. Call 715-282-4944 to confirm you can use the Rhinelander site before driving in.
You run a painting or contracting business
The county page excludes small and large quantity hazardous waste generators, so a very small business may still qualify. PaintCare's listing says no businesses. Call 715-282-4944 to check before you load up.
Rhinelander rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Take oil-based paint, stain and thinner to Oneida County's hazardous waste site, 7450 County Hwy K in Rhinelander, on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. It costs $1.85 a pound. The site takes latex at the same price, so most people dry latex at home and put it in the trash instead.
In Rhinelander, Wisconsin, all paint, latex and oil-based, goes to Oneida County's permanent hazardous waste site at the county Solid Waste Department, 7450 County Hwy K. It's open for hazardous waste Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. It isn't free: Oneida County charges $1.85 a pound for paint. Vilas and Forest counties also run their Clean Sweep through Oneida County.
Paint is paid for by the pound
Oneida County charges $1.85 a pound for paints and flammables (stain, varnish, thinner, gas). Paint is heavy, so a carload adds up. The county says prices can change without notice.
Only three weekdays for hazardous waste
The Solid Waste Department on County Hwy K is open six days a week, but hazardous waste is taken only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Don't plan a Saturday dump run for paint.
Dry your latex to save money
The county takes latex, but you pay by the pound for it. The Wisconsin DNR says latex can be dried until solid and put in the trash. Leave the lid off a nearly empty can, or stir cat litter into a fuller one.
One site for the whole Northwoods
The state's Clean Sweep list shows Vilas and Forest counties partnering with Oneida County, with the same phone number (715-282-4944). So cabin owners in Vilas or Forest County may be sent to the same Rhinelander site, but PaintCare's listing says Oneida County households only; call first.
Other cabin chemicals go to the same counter
The county also takes old fuel, dry pool chlorine, wood preservatives (especially "penta" products) and aerosol cans that held these products. Pesticides and acids cost $3.75 a pound and mercury $4.95 a pound, more than paint. Asbestos, ammunition, explosives and unknowns are refused.
Free pickup programs and other options
Wisconsin has no PaintCare program, so stores don't take paint back for free. For latex, follow the Wisconsin DNR's advice: dry it until solid and put it in the trash. Oil-based paint, stain and thinner should go to the county site. Usable paint can also be given away to neighbors or local groups. If you're not sure your hauler accepts dried paint cans, ask; Oneida County's recycling rules page says nothing about paint.
Getting your paint ready
Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid on tight. PaintCare's listing says empty, dry or leaking cans are not taken, so dry out latex at home rather than paying to drop it off. Separate oil-based from latex so you only pay for what has to go to the site.
Full preparation checklist →Rhinelander questions5
Where can I get rid of paint in Rhinelander?
At the Oneida County Solid Waste hazardous waste site, 7450 County Hwy K, Tuesday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Call 715-282-4944 with questions.
How much does it cost?
$1.85 a pound for paint, stain, varnish and thinner. Pesticides and acids are $3.75 a pound, and mercury $4.95 a pound.
Does the county take latex paint?
Yes, at the same per-pound price. Most people save money by drying latex and putting it in the trash, which the Wisconsin DNR allows.
Can I bring paint on a Saturday?
No. The solid waste site is open Saturday mornings, but hazardous waste is taken only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
I live in Vilas County. Can I use it?
The county page says the site takes hazardous waste from anyone except larger businesses, and the state lists Vilas and Forest counties as partners. PaintCare's listing says Oneida County households only, so call 715-282-4944 first.
Sources and how we checked8
October 16, 2026: Read Oneida County's hazardous waste page (also through the site's WordPress API, last changed October 2, 2025: Tuesday–Thursday 8–3, per-pound rates, latex/oil/lead paint accepted, takes waste from anyone except small and large quantity generators), the Solid Waste Department page (address, phone, site hours), the rates and recycling-rules pages (no paint guidance), DATCP's Clean Sweep list (Vilas and Forest counties partner with Oneida) and the Wisconsin DNR page. PaintCare's listing says Oneida County households only, which conflicts with the county's wording. Also looked for City of Rhinelander paint rules and a ReStore paint policy and found none published (local news articles were paywalled). Not resolved: who may use the site from outside Oneida County; whether city haulers take dried paint cans; whether there is any minimum charge for small loads. Peer review (October 16): reopened every source. The rates page lists solid waste minimums only, none for hazardous waste. "Unlike most Wisconsin counties" and the Milwaukee and Brown County comparisons had no source in this guide and were removed; a section on the other chemicals the site takes replaced them. The Solid Waste page doesn't call the site a landfill or transfer station, so that wording was dropped. Did not call anyone.
Checked October 16, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
Oneida County Solid Waste: hazardous waste ↗Oneida County Solid Waste Department ↗Oneida County Solid Waste: rates ↗Oneida County Solid Waste: recycling rules ↗Wisconsin DATCP Clean Sweep collections list (PDF) ↗Wisconsin DATCP Clean Sweep program ↗Wisconsin DNR household hazardous waste ↗PaintCare drop-off site locator ↗
