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
Dunn-Edwards (Pleasant Hill) 555 Contra Costa Blvd Pleasant Hill Recycle Free Drop-off
Dunn-Edwards (750 Bryant) 750 Bryant St San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 20 gallon limit per visit. You can put EMPTY, DRY latex paint cans in the blue bin.
Dunn Edwards (750 Bryant St) 750 Bryant St San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 20 gallon limit per visit. You can put EMPTY, DRY latex paint cans in the blue bin.
Delta HHW Collection Facility 2550 Pittsburg-Antioch Hwy Antioch Recycle Free Drop-off, Drop-off for a Fee
Creative Paint (5435 Geary) 5435 Geary Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Cole Hardware, Vallejo St. 627 Vallejo St San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cole Hardware (Rockridge) 5533 College Ave Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cole Hardware 70 4th St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cole Hardware 956 Cole St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cole Hardware 2254 Polk St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cole Hardware 345 9th St San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
Cliff's Variety 479 Castro St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Clean Harbors 1021 Berryessa Road San Jose Recycle Pick-up for a Fee Oil and latex based. Large quantity
City of Palo Alto Household Hazardous Waste Station Program 2501 Embarcadero Way Palo Alto Recycle Free Drop-off Only 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per visit. Must be a Palo Alto resident, proof of residency is required.
Central Contra Costa HHW Collection Facility 4797 Imhoff Pl. Martinez Recycle Free Drop-off
Center Hardware 3003 3rd St San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off There is a 5 gallon limit per trip.
California Paint Co (1833 Egbert Ave) 1833 Egbert Ave 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.
Brownies Hardware 1563 Polk St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Biologic Environmental Services & Waste Solutions 23490 Connecticut St Hayward Recycle Pick-up for a Fee Commercial quantity
Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Oakland Facility) 2100 East 7th Street Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off  

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