Recycle Leftover Paint? Yes You Can!

recycle paint

2-17-2019

Leftover house paint taking up space in your garage, basement, laundry room or closet? Why not recycle it and get your storage space back!

PaintCare sets up drop-off locations where households and businesses can recycle leftover house paint, primer, stains and varnish for free. Most locations are at paint and hardware stores that take back leftover paint during regular business hours. Other locations include household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities, solid waste transfer stations, landfills, recycling centers and “re-use” stores (like those run by Habitat for Humanity).

This paint recycling program is funded by a small fee that you pay whenever you purchase paint in California, so please take advantage of what you have already paid for! Through this program, we are able to keep 94% percent of donated paint out of the landfill.

PaintCare locations take back all brands of house paint — even if it’s 20 years old! All locations accept up to five gallons per visit, and some will take much more. Paint containers should be five gallons in size or smaller and have original labels. Here is a full list of products that PaintCare accepts:

  • Interior and exterior architectural paints: latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coatings)
  • Deck coatings, floor paints (including elastomeric)
  • Primers, sealers, undercoaters
  • Stains
  • Shellacs, lacquers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
  • Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellents (not tar or bitumen-based)
  • Metal coatings, rust preventatives
  • Field and lawn paints

Locations do not accept leaking, unlabeled or empty containers. They also do not accept aerosols (spray paint), art and craft paints, marine and auto paints, industrial coatings, or other related chemicals such as paint thinner, paint tints or caulking materials.

In addition to setting convenient drop-off locations where the public can get rid of unwanted paint, PaintCare also offers a free large volume pick-up service for households or businesses that have 200+ gallons of leftover paint.

Here are the PaintCare drop-off locations in Stockton:

Velvacon and Pittsburgh Paints
706 E Main St | (209) 465-2634

Stockton Color Center
2104 Pacific Ave | (209) 943-1617

Kelly-Moore
2225 Monte Diablo Ave | (209) 465-3473

PPG Paints
2504 Monte Diablo Ave | (209) 466-8038

Habitat for Humanity Restore
4933 West Lane | (209) 463-1285

Kelly-Moore
3206 E Hammer Ln | (209) 474-3706

Sherwin-Williams
3304 E Hammer Ln | (209) 478-1014

You can also drop off paint at the San Joaquin County Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

To learn more about PaintCare, visit paintcare.org.