How Do You Dispose of Old Paint?
Leftover paint counts as household hazardous waste, and the rules depend on where you live. The EPA considers leftover household products that can catch fire, react or explode, or that are corrosive or toxic, to be household hazardous waste, and names paints among the products that can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them.
For small amounts, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says that if a can is less than a quarter full, you can remove the lid and leave it in a well-ventilated area, where the paint will dry in a few days, and then throw the dry can in the trash. That is Texas guidance, so check your own state and local rules first. In Connecticut, the state environmental agency says residents can bring oil-based paint to their town’s household hazardous waste collections, and some of those collections also take latex paint.
Many states have paint stewardship laws that fund drop-off sites. Connecticut’s environmental agency says PaintCare, a non-profit association of paint and coating manufacturers, began collecting unwanted paint there on July 1, 2013 under a law passed in 2011. Colorado’s health department says its Architectural Paint Stewardship Act let PaintCare collect unused paint from July 1, 2015, with latex paint reused or recycled into new paint and oil-based paint used as a fuel source, and Illinois says its Paint Stewardship Act took effect January 1, 2024.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe EPA considers leftover household products that can catch fire, react or explode, or that are corrosive or toxic, to be household hazardous waste, and says products such as paints require special care when disposed of. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says a paint can less than a quarter full can have its lid removed in a well-ventilated area to dry in a few days, and once dry can be thrown in the trash. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ↗
- Government sourceConnecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says residents can bring oil-based paint to town household hazardous waste collections, and some collections have added latex paint. Connecticut DEEP ↗
- Regulatory filingConnecticut DEEP says PaintCare, a non-profit association of paint and coating manufacturers, began a program on July 1, 2013 to collect and recycle unwanted paint, a result of the state’s 2011 Paint Stewardship Law. Connecticut DEEP ↗
- Regulatory filingIllinois EPA says Governor Pritzker signed the Paint Stewardship Act on July 28, 2023, effective January 1, 2024, requiring architectural paint manufacturers to submit a paint stewardship program plan. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ↗
- Regulatory filingColorado’s health department says its Architectural Paint Stewardship Act let PaintCare collect unused paint from July 1, 2015, with latex paint reused or recycled and oil-based paint used as a fuel source. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.