HomeNashville, TNPaint DisposalLatex Paint Disposal

Paint Disposal · Nashville, TN

Latex Paint Disposal in Nashville

Before you go

In most of the country, dried latex is ordinary trash and the hazardous waste program does not need to take it. Two things change that, and both are decided by your state: California prohibits drying it at home, and thirteen states run a PaintCare take-back that is free and easier than drying. The local rules on this page say which applies where you are.

  1. Confirm it's actually latex

    The label will say latex, acrylic, or water-based, and it'll tell you to clean up with soap and water. If it says alkyd, mineral spirits, or clean up with thinner, it's oil-based and none of this applies.

  2. Check your state before you dry anything

    California treats leftover latex paint as hazardous waste and does not allow you to dry it out at home; it has to go to a collection site. Where PaintCare operates, drop-off is free and drying is pointless. Everywhere else, drying and binning it is the normal route. This page's local rules and the facilities listed above tell you which of the three you are in, and your municipal program page is the final authority.

  3. Dry it solid before it goes anywhere

    Where drying is allowed: stir in cat litter, sawdust, or a commercial paint hardener at roughly equal parts for a half-full can. A can with less than an inch left will dry on its own with the lid off in a few days.

  4. Dry it somewhere ventilated and out of reach

    Open air, away from children and pets. A garage floor or a back step is right; a closed cupboard is not.

  5. Leave the lid off when you set it out

    The hauler needs to see that it's solid. A sealed can gets left at the curb, and in most places a liquid can is refused outright.

  6. Never pour it down a drain or onto the ground

    Latex is water-based but it is not water. It fouls septic systems, coats sewer lines, and in a storm drain it goes straight to a creek untreated.

  7. Consider giving away what's usable

    A mostly full can of a current colour is worth more to a neighbour, a theatre group, or a habitat resale store than it is dried out in a landfill.

Compare options

Latex Paint Disposal in Nashville

2 free · 1 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
Metro Nashville HHW Collection(615) 862-8631 Free
for Davidson County residents		 Mon-Sat 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Walk-in Metro Nashville's main HHW facility adjacent to East Convenience Center.
Metro Nashville HHW — Paint Disposal(615) 862-8631 Free
for Davidson County residents		 Mon-Sat 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Walk-in Metro Nashville's HHW program accepts all paint types.
Paid or fee-based options
LoadUp(844) 239-7711 Ask when you book
Upfront online pricing		 Hours not published Appointment Pickup avail. Full-service paint pickup service in Nashville. Online booking with upfront pricing.

How it works in Nashville

Latex paint is NOT accepted at Metro HHW sites. Per Metro Public Works' latex paint disposal policy, residents dry it out with cat litter, sawdust, mulch, shredded paper, or commercial paint hardener and put the solidified can (lid off) in regular curbside trash. TN BOPAE rules specifically exclude latex paint from the materials counties must accept at convenience centers.

Local rules

  • Tennessee BOPAE Program (T.C.A. § 68-211-907): requires each county convenience center to accept Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics from households. Davidson County complies by offering separate HHW (East/Ezell Pike) and e-waste (East/Ezell/Omohundro) drop-offs.

Worth knowing

  • Tennessee is not a PaintCare state — no paint stewardship program operates in TN, so all paint disposal is handled through Metro's HHW facility or by drying-and-trashing latex paint.
  • Latex (water-based) paint is NOT accepted at Nashville HHW sites — residents must dry it out (cat litter, sawdust, paint hardener, or by leaving lid off) and then dispose with regular trash.
  • The TDEC mobile HHW collection events that visit TN counties twice yearly explicitly stopped taking paint, electronics, and alkaline batteries — counties must handle these BOPAE materials year-round locally.

Davidson County household hazardous waste

Metro Nashville HHW Collection

Free HHW disposal for Davidson County residents.

(615) 862-8631 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

16 more Nashville rules, not specific to this item
  • Metro Code 10.20.095: effective July 1, 2015, electronic waste may not be placed in solid waste containers nor collected with solid waste in Davidson County. Yard waste and corrugated cardboard are also banned from curbside trash under the same section.
  • Tennessee Electronics Recycling Act of 2011: requires covered electronics manufacturers to register with TDEC and provide collection/recycling opportunities, but does NOT establish a statewide landfill ban for residential e-waste.
  • Tennessee Solid Waste Management Rule 0400-11-01: business/institutional e-scrap typically qualifies as 'special waste' requiring a TDEC special-waste application before landfill disposal.
  • Tennessee statute (T.C.A. Title 68, Ch. 211): each county must provide at least one site to receive waste tires, used motor oil/fluids, and lead-acid batteries.
  • T.C.A. § 68-211-800 et seq. (Tennessee Waste Tire Act): prohibits landfilling of whole waste tires and requires each county to provide a waste tire collection site; establishes a waste tire fund financed by a $0.70/tire fee on new tire sales.
  • T.C.A. § 68-211-907(d): lead-acid batteries are banned from disposal in Tennessee landfills, incinerators, and waste-to-energy facilities; retailers selling lead-acid batteries must accept used ones for recycling per state law.
  • Tennessee Universal Waste Rule (T.C.A. § 68-212-401): regulates the management of universal wastes including mercury-containing lamps, recalled pesticides, and certain batteries to streamline disposal and encourage recycling.
  • Tennessee has no statewide e-waste landfill ban as of 2026 — the prohibition on tossing electronics in Davidson County comes from local Metro Code 10.20.095, not state law.
  • Davidson County imposes a 15-gallons/100-pounds-per-visit HHW limit and a one-computer-system-per-month limit at convenience centers.
  • TVs over 80 inches wide are not accepted at Nashville convenience centers.
  • Post-1996 alkaline batteries (with no mercury) are considered non-hazardous in TN and can legally go in household trash, though recycling is still preferred.
  • Three of four Metro convenience centers (East, Ezell Pike, Omohundro) accept e-waste; only two (East and Ezell Pike) accept HHW; Anderson Lane accepts neither.
  • Nashville convenience-center credit/debit transactions carry a 2.8% fee ($1.95 minimum).
  • Tennessee hosts major EV-battery manufacturing (Envision AESC in Smyrna for Nissan LEAF; Ford's BlueOval City), and Redwood Materials has a recycling agreement with Envision AESC — but there is no consumer EV-battery drop-off program; EV batteries go through dealerships.
  • Nashville Metro publishes useful recycling right guides and a Waste Wizard online tool to help residents determine which bin items go in.
  • The Anderson Lane Convenience Center (Madison) accepts trash, recycling, bulky waste, and foam but NOT e-waste or HHW — a frequent point of confusion for north Davidson County residents.

Other Nashville programs

  • Omohundro Convenience Center (e-waste only, no HHW)Electronics drop-off (TVs, computers, printers, etc.); also handles construction/demolition material for a fee. Does not accept HHW chemicals.
  • Ezell Pike Convenience Center (HHW + e-waste)Full-service HHW facility accepting paints, chemicals, pesticides, automotive fluids, and electronics at 3254 Ezell Pk. Davidson County ID required. 15-gallon/100-pound HHW limit per visit. Tue-Sat 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
  • East Convenience Center (HHW + e-waste)Full-service HHW facility accepting paints, chemicals, pesticides, automotive fluids, and electronics at 943A Doctor Richard G. Adams Dr. Davidson County ID required. 15-gallon/100-pound HHW limit per visit. Tue-Sat 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
  • Tennessee Mobile HHW Collection Service (TDEC)Spring (late March-early June) and fall (post-Labor Day-early November) one-day collections in TN counties for paints, chemicals, pesticides, fluorescent bulbs. Does NOT accept paint, electronics, or alkaline batteries — counties must handle these BOPAE materials year-round locally.
  • Call2Recycle drop-off networkRechargeable and lithium-ion battery drop-offs at participating retailers (Home Depot, Lowe's, Staples, Best Buy, Batteries Plus) and at the Ezell Pike Convenience Center.
  • Metro Council district shredding eventsFree document shredding plus bulk-item drop-off, periodically hosted by individual council districts (often co-hosted with the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission).
  • Batteries Plus Bulbs — Nashville locationsFree recycling for rechargeable batteries, single-use batteries, and fluorescent light bulbs/tubes at all Nashville-area Batteries Plus stores. Also accepts small electronics (phones, tablets) and ballasts for recycling; some disposal fees may apply for CRTs and large electronics.615-331-1551
  • Nashville Foam Recycling Drop-Off (convenience centers)Free expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam drop-off at all four Metro convenience centers. Accepts clean white foam blocks, packing peanuts (bagged separately), and food trays. Must be clean — no food residue, tape, labels, or colored foam.
  • Tennessee Waste Tire Program — Davidson County siteEach Tennessee county must provide at least one waste tire collection site. Davidson County residents can drop off up to 10 tires per year at Metro convenience centers (fees apply for quantities over the limit). TDEC enforces the Waste Tire Act under T.C.A. 68-211-800.
  • Tennessee Environmental Council Recycling Roundup eventsPeriodic community recycling roundup events in the Nashville area organized by TEC, accepting hard-to-recycle items including tires, mattresses, scrap metal, Styrofoam, and electronics. Typically held in spring and fall; dates vary annually.
Where this came from: 14 sources

Common questions

About Latex Paint Disposal here

How much does Latex Paint disposal cost in this area?

2 of 3 facilities (67%) offer free disposal for Latex Paint. Facilities that may charge: LoadUp. LoadUp: Upfront online pricing.

Do I need an appointment for Latex Paint drop-off?

1 facility requires an appointment: LoadUp. Metro Nashville HHW Collection, Metro Nashville HHW — Paint Disposal accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Latex Paint?

Yes, 1 facility offers pickup: LoadUp.

Are there quantity limits for Latex Paint drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: Metro Nashville HHW Collection: 15 gallons / 100 lbs; Metro Nashville HHW — Paint Disposal: 15 gallons.

How long does it take for latex paint to dry out?

Open cans air dry in 2-7 days depending on humidity. For faster results, mix in kitty litter or commercial paint hardener — it solidifies in 15-30 minutes. Layer in a cardboard box if you have multiple cans.

← All Paint Disposal All Nashville options