How to Dispose of Paint (Latex and Oil-Based) the Right Way

Leftover paint is one of the most common things stuck in an American garage, and one of the most commonly thrown out wrong. You cannot pour it down the drain, you usually cannot set a full can at the curb, and the right move depends on which kind of paint you have. Here is how to clear it out without a fine or a mess.

Step 1: is it latex or oil-based?

Everything downstream depends on this one answer, and the label tells you. If the can says the brush cleans up with soap and water, it is latex (water-based or acrylic) paint - the kind most interior walls are painted with. If it says to clean up with mineral spirits, turpentine, or paint thinner, it is oil-based (alkyd) paint, and it is treated as hazardous. When in doubt, treat it as oil-based.

Latex paint: dry it out, then the can can go in the trash

Fully dried latex paint is not hazardous, so in most areas a hardened can with the lid off is accepted with regular trash. The job is to turn the liquid solid first:

• A little left in the can: pull the lid off and let it air-dry in a ventilated spot away from kids and pets.
• More than an inch: stir in an absorbent - cat litter, sawdust, or a cheap paint-hardener powder - until it will not slosh, then let it set up solid.
• Once it is solid: leave the lid off so the crew can see it is dry, and put it out with your normal trash.

Rules vary between neighboring towns, so confirm with your local waste department. The EPA keeps a plain-language overview of household hazardous waste and why some of these items are handled separately from ordinary trash.

Oil-based paint: hazardous waste, never the trash

Oil-based paint, wood stain, and the solvents used to clean them up are flammable and count as household hazardous waste. They do not belong in your trash, your recycling bin, or any drain. These go to a household hazardous waste collection site or event - most counties run them, either year-round or on scheduled drop-off days. Keep the paint in its original labeled can so the facility knows what it is handling.

The easiest route for either type: PaintCare

Before you dry anything out, check whether your state has PaintCare. PaintCare is a nonprofit, industry-funded program that takes back leftover house paint - latex and oil-based alike - for free at hundreds of ordinary paint and hardware stores. Look up a drop-off site near you and confirm you are in one of the participating states. Where it operates, it is the simplest and greenest option, and one visit clears far more than a trash can ever should.

What to never do

• Never pour paint down a sink, toilet, or storm drain. Storm drains often run straight to a creek or bay, and paint contaminates both the water and the treatment system.
• Never pour it on the ground or into a ditch - the same problem, plus soil contamination.
• Never put a full or half-full liquid can in the trash. It leaks in the truck and can get the whole load rejected.

Recycling the empty, dried metal can where your program collects metal is a bonus - the EPA's recycling basics cover which containers curbside programs typically take.

Clearing out the whole garage, not just the paint?

Paint itself has to go the hazardous-waste or PaintCare route above - a junk-removal crew will not haul liquid or flammable paint, and an honest one will tell you so up front. But paint is rarely the only thing in the way. Once the cans are dried out or dropped off, a junk crew is the fast way to clear the sagging shelving, the broken lawn gear, the old furniture, and the rest of the pile in one trip. In southwest Missouri, the Springfield-area junk crew we recommend for a full garage or basement cleanout takes the dried-out cans along with everything else once the hazardous liquids are handled.