Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto

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Paint - Interior & Exterior - Used/Wet

Opened, partially full, or wet containers or cans of interior and/or exterior architectural paints: latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coatings), as well as field and lawn paints.

Household Hazardous Waste

This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.

Use up wet, leftover house paint or offer it up to community members. Drop-off paint for recycling at no cost to a local PaintCare site. Accepted items include house paint as well as primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings such as shellac and varnish.

Paint Waste: Empty, dried out paint cans and buckets may be accepted for recycling. Stirrers, pans and brushes with dried paint go into the garbage. Chemical soaked rags are accepted by some Household Hazardous Waste Facilities. Empty spray paint belongs in the recycing bin (cap off); use up or safely dispose of cans spray paint. Water used to clean paint brushes with acrylic paint (water-based) can be poured down the drain. Paint thinner used to clean paint brushes used with oil-based paint is considered hazardous waste for residents and businesses to bring into a hazardous waste facility.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
Kelly Moore - Oakland/MacArthur (PaintCare.org) 4156 Telegraph Ave. Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly Moore - Oakland/Telegraph (PaintCare.org) 4917 International Blvd. Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly Moore - Pleasanton (PaintCare.org) 4877 Hopyard Rd. Ste. B2 Pleasanton Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly Moore - San Lorenzo (PaintCare) 15611 Hesperian Blvd. San Lorenzo Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly Moore -Albany (PaintCare.org) 969 San Pablo Ave. Albany Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly Moore- Fremont/Decoto (PaintCare.org) 3954 Decoto Rd. Fremont Recycle Free Drop-off
Kelly-Moore Paints 411 Page Mill Road Palo Alto Recycle Free Drop-off This item is hazardous and must be disposed of properly.
North State Environmental (South San Francisco) 220 South Spruce Avenue
Suite 200
South San Francisco Recycle Pick-up for a Fee
Outdoor Supply Hardware 1025 Ashby Ave Berkeley Recycle Free Drop-off Restrictions: Limit: 10 gallons per visit. Paint is accepted during regular business hours; Call ahead for hours and to make sure the store can accept the amount and type of paint you would like to recycle. This site accepts latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers up to 5 gallons in size. This site does not accept aerosols (spray paint or other spray products), containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking or empty.
PaintCare California Drop-off Location Finder 901 New York Ave. Washington DC Recycle Free Drop-off See website for program details.
Photo Waste Recycling Co. 2980 Kerner Boulevard
Northern CA Headquarters
San Rafael Recycle Pick-up for a Fee
Pleasanton Transfer Station 3110 Busch Rd. Pleasanton Recycle Free Drop-off See PaintCare CA accepted/not accepted items and call to confirm space and current open hours.
PPG Paints (548 7th Street) 548 7th Street San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per visit. You can put EMPTY, DRY latex paint cans in the blue bin.
PPG Paints (PaintCare.org) 3356 Piedmont Ave Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off
REAP Center 2133 Tynan Ave Alameda Reuse Free Drop-off Latex or tint. Dark green or dark brown.
Recology SF Business Haz. Waste Drop-Off (VSQG Program) 501 Tunnel Ave. San Francisco Recycle Drop-off for a Fee Quantity limits and disposal fees apply. You must qualify and make an appointment in advance. San Francisco businesses only.
Recology SF Household Hazardous Waste Facility 501 Tunnel Ave. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off Limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per day of all household hazardous waste. San Francisco residents only. Address verification required. Open Thursday-Saturday only from 8am-4pm.
Recology SF Household Hazardous Waste Home Collection San Francisco Recycle Free Pick-up San Francisco Residents only.
Roberts Hardware 1629 Haight St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per visit. | | You can put EMPTY, DRY latex paint cans in the blue bin.
Safety Kleen Systems (Rohnert Park) 5750 Commerce Blvd Rohnert Park Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee

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