HomeSalt Lake City, UTPaint DisposalOil Based Paint Disposal

Paint Disposal · Salt Lake City, UT

Oil Based Paint Disposal in Salt Lake City

Before you go

Oil-based finishes are genuinely hazardous waste. Unlike latex, there is no dry-it-out shortcut here.

  1. Know what counts

    Oil-based and alkyd paint, stain, varnish, shellac, polyurethane, paint thinner, and mineral spirits are all in this category. So is the solvent you cleaned the brushes with.

  2. Keep everything in its original labelled container

    Unlabelled containers get refused, or surcharged as unknown waste because the site has to pay to identify them. Don't decant into a milk jug.

  3. Don't consolidate different products

    Mixing thinner into leftover stain creates a container nobody can characterise, which is the most expensive thing to hand a hazardous waste facility.

  4. Deal with the rags before they deal with you

    Rags soaked in oil-based finish generate heat as they cure and have started house fires in a wadded pile. Lay them flat outdoors on a non-flammable surface until they are fully dry and hard, or keep them submerged in a sealed metal can of water until you hand them over.

  5. Check the per-visit cap before you load the car

    Caps vary by program and are usually stated in two ways: a per-container maximum, commonly five gallons, and a per-visit total, often around fifteen gallons or a hundred-odd pounds. Read your own site's number before a garage clear-out, because the difference is a second trip.

Compare options

Oil Based Paint Disposal in Salt Lake City

3 free · 0 fee-based

3 of 3 have a single address. Chains listed for the whole metro stay in place.
Facility Cost Open now Notes
Salt Lake Valley Landfill - Household Hazardous Waste Facility(801) 541-4078 Free
for Salt Lake County residents		 Mon-Sat 7 AM - 5 PM Walk-in Main HHW drop-off for Salt Lake County. Located at the Salt Lake Valley Landfill.
SLCo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (Sandy)(385) 468-4100 Free
for Salt Lake County residents		 Mon-Fri 8 AM - 5 PM, Sat 8 AM - 2 PM Walk-in Dedicated HHW collection center in the Sandy area of Salt Lake County.
Salt Lake County HHW Facilities (Paint Disposal)(385) 468-4100 Free
for Salt Lake County residents		 Landfill: Mon-Sat 7 AM - 5 PM. Sandy: Mon-Fri 8 AM - 5 PM, Sat 8 AM - 2 PM Walk-in Both Salt Lake County HHW locations accept paint.

Where they are

Relative positions across Salt Lake City. Not a street map: use Directions on a facility page to navigate.

5 milesSalt Lake Valley Landfill - Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Salt Lake City (free)SLCo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (Sandy), Sandy (free)Salt Lake County HHW Facilities (Paint Disposal), Salt Lake City (free)

Free Fee or conditional

  1. Salt Lake County HHW Facilities (Paint Disposal)Salt Lake City
  2. Salt Lake Valley Landfill - Household Hazardous Waste FacilitySalt Lake City
  3. SLCo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (Sandy)Sandy

How it works in Salt Lake City

Always hazardous — never trash, never let dry out and toss. Free drop-off at all three SL County HHW sites (Sandy, Salt Lake Valley Landfill, Trans-Jordan); these are the only legitimate disposal points in the metro since Murray City PW stopped accepting HHW and PaintCare does not operate in Utah.

Local rules

  • Utah is NOT a PaintCare state — no paint stewardship law has passed, so there is no PaintCare-funded drop-off network and no point-of-sale paint recovery fee.

Worth knowing

  • Murray City Public Works STOPPED accepting HHW/paint — older directories listing Murray are stale. Use the three county sites.
  • Empty or dried-out latex paint cans are NOT accepted at HHW sites (and Utah has no PaintCare network) — residents are on their own to dry small amounts and trash the can.
  • Utah is one of the few Western states without PaintCare — residents in SLC must rely solely on county HHW sites for paint disposal, unlike neighboring states CO (PaintCare) and OR (PaintCare).

Salt Lake County household hazardous waste

Salt Lake Valley Landfill HHW Facility

Free for Salt Lake County residents. Accepts paint, batteries, and electronics including TVs/CRTs/computers. Mon-Sat 7 AM-5 PM.

(385) 468-3862 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

15 more Salt Lake City rules, not specific to this item
  • Utah Code 19-6-12 (Disposal of Electronic Waste Program): requires manufacturers to offer collection/recycling for consumer electronics, but Utah does NOT mandate e-waste recycling and has NO statewide landfill ban on electronics — the law is notably more permissive than most western states.
  • Utah Code 19-6-6 (Lead Acid Battery Disposal): it is illegal to landfill a vehicle/lead-acid battery in Utah; retailers selling lead-acid batteries must accept up to two used batteries from a customer at purchase.
  • Salt Lake County HHW sites publicly state landfills in Salt Lake, Davis, and Summit counties will not knowingly accept hazardous waste (including batteries) from households or businesses, even though there is no formal statewide ban.
  • Solid waste regulated under Utah Admin Code R315 by the DEQ Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control.
  • Utah Code 19-6-910: adopted the federal Universal Waste Rule, regulating management of batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing devices, and lamps to encourage recycling over disposal.
  • Utah Code 19-6-903: prohibits open dumping of solid waste including hazardous materials; landfills are required to have programs preventing hazardous waste acceptance.
  • Three-site HHW model: Sandy collection center (8805 S 700 W), Salt Lake Valley Landfill (6030 W California Ave), Trans-Jordan Landfill (10473 S Bacchus Hwy). Sandy and the Valley Landfill accept electronics; Trans-Jordan does NOT.
  • All three sites are FREE for Salt Lake County residents for household-sized loads — paid for via the county landfill assessment, not per-drop fees.
  • Salt Lake Valley Landfill is residential-only for e-waste; businesses must go to Sandy by appointment (385-468-4380) or to private processors.
  • Salt Lake City residents (SLC proper, garbage-billed by the city) get TWO free Call 2 Haul pickups/year — including e-waste — separate from the county HHW system. WFWRD residents (Holladay, Millcreek, Magna, Taylorsville, etc.) do NOT get this; they rely on county HHW.
  • SLC garbage cart is green; recycling cart is blue; compost cart is brown; optional glass cart is gray and runs through Momentum Recycling, not the city.
  • Salt Lake City vs Salt Lake County: 'Salt Lake City' = the city with Call 2 Haul and SLC Sustainability/SLCgreen. 'Salt Lake County' = the broader Health Dept HHW program serving all county residents including SLC.
  • Lead-acid car battery disposal: state law forces retailer takeback — any auto parts store (AutoZone, O'Reilly, NAPA, Interstate) must accept used car batteries; usually with a small core credit.
  • Winter: HHW sites stay on year-round Mon-Sat 7am-5pm hours; occasional weather closures aren't published in advance — call ahead during major snow events.
  • The Great Salt Lake's receding shoreline has exposed old dump sites and raised environmental concerns about hazardous materials in former landfills — driving increased community awareness about proper HHW disposal.

Other Salt Lake City programs

Where this came from: 14 sources

Common questions

About Oil Based Paint Disposal here

How much does Oil Based Paint disposal cost in this area?

All 3 facilities accept Oil Based Paint for free.

Do I need an appointment for Oil Based Paint drop-off?

No appointment needed. Salt Lake Valley Landfill - Household Hazardous Waste Facility, SLCo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (Sandy), Salt Lake County HHW Facilities (Paint Disposal) accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Oil Based Paint?

Most facilities require you to drop off Oil Based Paint. Check individual listings for special arrangements.

Are there quantity limits for Oil Based Paint drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: Salt Lake Valley Landfill - Household Hazardous Waste Facility: 30 gallons max for paint. Residential quantities for other items.; SLCo Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (Sandy): 30 gallons max for paint; Salt Lake County HHW Facilities (Paint Disposal): 30 gallons max for paint.

Why can't oil-based paint go in the trash?

Oil-based paint is classified as hazardous waste because it contains flammable solvents, heavy metals, and chemicals that can contaminate groundwater. It must be taken to a household hazardous waste facility for proper treatment.

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