How do I dispose of leftover paint?

Use PaintCare if you are in one of the 12 states or DC where it operates, since it takes both latex and oil-based paint free at retail drop-off points. Outside those states, treat oil-based paint as household hazardous waste.

Is oil-based paint hazardous waste?

Yes. Outside a PaintCare state it is always household hazardous waste and needs a proper HHW drop-off. It should never go in the trash, down a drain, or onto the ground.

How do I dry out latex paint?

Where it is permitted, mix in an absorbent such as cat litter or a commercial paint hardener and leave the lid off until solid. This works for small amounts; a large volume is better taken to a drop-off.

Can I recycle empty paint cans?

Metal cans that are completely dry and free of residue are usually accepted as scrap metal, and some curbside programs take them. Rules vary, so confirm locally rather than assuming.

What about spray paint and aerosols?

Those follow a different route. Pressurized cans are handled as their own hazardous stream rather than with liquid paint, so take them to a household hazardous waste program.

Hazardous recycling

How to Recycle Paint

Latex and oil-based architectural paint, plus primers and single-component finishes. The one hazardous material with a real nationwide take-back program, in the states that have adopted it.

RecyclableUpdated Jul 2026

Quick answer

Use PaintCare if you are in one of the 12 states or DC where it operates, since it takes latex and oil-based paint free at retail drop-offs. Outside those, oil-based paint is always household hazardous waste. Latex can often be dried out and binned, but not everywhere: California treats latex as presumed hazardous and prohibits drying it without a treatment permit, so check before you reach for the kitty litter.

Recyclable: Yes

How to Prepare

1Check whether PaintCare operates where you live, because that decides everything else
2Keep paint in its original labeled container, since drop-offs need to identify it
3Keep lids sealed and separate latex from oil-based

How to Recycle Paint

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How to Recycle Paint

Quick answer

What's your junk car actually worth?

Not Accepted

Recycling centers that accept Paint

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