Everything you need to get rid of leftover paint responsibly in Wausau.
172900 State Hwy 29, Ringle, WI 54471
Older city pages give different details. Wausau's Garbage & Recycling page lists the site as R18500 East Highway 29, about 12 miles east of Wausau and 1.5 miles east of the County Q exit, with appointments Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 715-446-3101 ext. 100 (the city's guidelines PDF also gives ext. 100). Schofield's page uses the R18500 address and the number 715-344-8198, and PaintCare's listing also shows 715-344-8198. The county's own pages and 2026 rate sheet say 172900 State Hwy 29, 715-446-3101 and no Thursday appointments. This guide follows the county and call 715-446-3101 if anything doesn't match.
172900 State Hwy 29, Ringle, WI 54471
This is the same Ringle site as the hazardous waste program. Most Wausau homes don't need to haul dried latex here; it can go in the black-lid trash cart once it's hard and the lid is off. Call the scale office at 715-446-3101 ext. 2 if you're not sure about an item.
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.
172900 State Hwy 29, Ringle, WI 54471
650 Moore Rd, Plover, WI 54467
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Pour it into a plastic-lined box with kitty litter or sawdust and let it harden. Bag the hard paint for the trash cart, wipe the cans, and put the lids in the garbage separately so Harter's doesn't skip your cart.
Book a free appointment for a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. The county's list names thinners, turpentine, varnish, oil-based paint and spray cans that still have paint, but not stain, so mention the stain when you book. Empty spray cans can be recycled as scrap metal at the site. If it's more than 20 items or a full trailer, book two appointments in a row.
Don't book online. Call 715-446-3101 ext. 103 for a personal appointment, since loads over about 200 lbs. or containers over 6 gallons need one. Businesses and farms must call the office for an appointment.
Check the county's free Choose to Reuse shelf at the Ringle site first. The Village of Weston says shelf items are also posted on Craigslist when it fills up.
Dry leftover latex paint until it is completely hard, then put it in your black-lid trash cart with the lid off the can. Book an appointment (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday; no Thursdays) to bring oil-based paint, varnish, thinner and partly full spray cans to Marathon County's hazardous waste site at 172900 State Hwy 29 in Ringle; it's free for Marathon County residents. Book online or call 715-446-3101.
In Wausau, Wisconsin, latex and oil-based paint go two different ways. Dry latex until it's hard and put it in your trash. Take oil-based paint, varnish and thinner to the Marathon County hazardous waste site in Ringle, by appointment. Wisconsin has no PaintCare program, so there is no PaintCare store drop-off network here.
The county lists latex (water-based) paint under items it does not accept, because it isn't hazardous. Liquid latex can't go in your garbage either. It has to be completely dry and hard first. Most acrylic paint is water-based too and can be handled the same way.
The county says to rinse and wipe paint cans and put the lids in the garbage separately. A can with a lid on looks like it still has liquid paint inside, and your hauler won't check. Wausau's carts are collected by Harter's Fox Valley Disposal (1-888-804-8556), and the city's guidelines say hazardous materials can't go in the refuse cart.
Appointments run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday only, booked at least a day ahead. More than 20 items or a full truck or trailer means booking two back-to-back appointments. Over about 200 lbs. or containers bigger than 6 gallons, call 715-446-3101 ext. 103 instead of booking online.
When people drop off usable paint and other products, the county puts partly full containers on its Choose to Reuse shelf, free to anyone. The Village of Weston says that when the shelf fills up, a photo and list go on Craigslist. Check it before you buy a small amount.
The county and the city disagree on three things. Address: the county says 172900 State Hwy 29; Wausau's Garbage & Recycling page and Schofield's page say R18500 East Highway 29. Phone: the county says 715-446-3101; Wausau's page says ext. 100, and Schofield's page says 715-344-8198. Appointments: the county says Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, no Thursdays; Wausau's page says Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This guide follows the county. Call 715-446-3101 if you're unsure.
Wisconsin has no PaintCare program. PaintCare's locator data shows the Marathon County program in Ringle only as a non-program listing. Give usable paint to friends or neighbors, as the county suggests, or use it for crafts. The Wausau Habitat ReStore at 1810 Schofield Ave. in Weston doesn't list paint among the donations it wants, so call 715-848-5042 before bringing any. WSAW reported that the city's May 2026 Clean-It-Up Wausau large item drop-off did not take paint or chemicals. Residents of other counties can use the Ringle site but pay full disposal cost; Lincoln County has offered reimbursement up to $75. Businesses and farms must call 715-446-3101 to arrange an appointment.
For latex: line a box with a sturdy plastic sheet and pour the paint in. Speed it up with kitty litter, sawdust or a hardener from a hardware store. When it's completely hard, lift and twist the plastic out of the box, put it in another bag and throw it away. Rinse and wipe the can and put the lid in the garbage separately. Rinsed metal cans that aren't rusted can be recycled; rinsed plastic or rusty cans go in the trash. For oil-based paint, varnish and thinner: keep them sealed, as Wisconsin DNR advises, and bring them to your Ringle appointment.
Full preparation checklist →Latex: dry it until it's hard, take the lid off and put it in your trash cart. Oil-based paint, varnish and thinner: book a free appointment at the Marathon County hazardous waste site in Ringle (715-446-3101). Stain isn't named on the county's list, so ask about it when you book.
No. Latex paint is on the county's not-accepted list because it isn't hazardous. The county wants it dried completely and thrown away.
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, by appointment booked at least one day ahead. There are no Thursday appointments.
No. WSAW reported that light bulbs, smoke detectors, paint, chemicals, remodeling waste and batteries weren't accepted at the May 2026 event.
Yes, but you pay full disposal costs. Ask your own county about reimbursement; Marathon County names Lincoln County, which offered up to $75, as an example.
October 17, 2026: read Marathon County's Household Hazardous Waste, appointment, What Do I Do With (latex paint section) and Solid Waste pages and its Rates & Fees sheet effective 01/01/26 (opened in a browser because the county site blocks automated downloads), the City of Wausau Garbage & Recycling page and Refuse & Recycling Guidelines PDF, the Village of Weston and City of Schofield hazardous waste pages, WSAW's May 2026 large-item story, the Wausau Habitat ReStore page and Wisconsin DNR's household hazardous waste page. PaintCare locator data: Marathon County record 16443 is a non-program listing; its 'Marathon and Lincoln counties' and 'VSQG businesses' wording comes only from PaintCare. Conflicts: Wausau and Schofield pages use R18500 E. Hwy 29 and older appointment hours or numbers (Wausau ext. 100, Monday to Friday 8 to 1:30; Schofield and PaintCare 715-344-8198), while the county uses 172900 State Hwy 29, 715-446-3101 and no Thursdays. The guide follows the county and states the conflict. Peer review (October 17, 2026): stain removed from the county drop-off list because no county page names it. The county's Household Hazardous Waste page says Lincoln County 'was offering' and its What Do I Do With page says 'is offering' the $75 reimbursement. Unresolved: whether ID is checked, the business price, and whether the ReStore takes any paint.
Checked October 17, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
