HomeSeattle, WAPaint DisposalLatex Paint Disposal

Paint Disposal · Seattle, WA

Latex Paint Disposal in Seattle

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 Seattle

4 free · 0 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility(206) 296-4692 Free Sun-Tue 9 AM - 5 PM Walk-in Located near Aurora Ave N at 125th. King County HHW facility.
South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility(206) 296-4692 Free Thu-Sat 9 AM - 5 PM Walk-in South Seattle HHW facility. Located across from the South Transfer Station.
Sherwin-Williams (Seattle) - PaintCare Drop-Off Free
PaintCare program funded by paint manufacturers		 Store hours (typically 7 AM - 7 PM Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM Sat) Walk-in Washington joined PaintCare in 2010. All Seattle-area Sherwin-Williams stores partici…
PaintCare Washington - Statewide Paint Recycling Program Free
PaintCare program funded by paint manufacturers		 Hours not published Walk-in Washington's PaintCare program started in 2010 with over 200+ drop-off sites statewid…

How it works in Seattle

PaintCare Washington accepts latex paint at ~100+ Seattle-area drop-off sites for free. Containers up to 5 gallons. King County HHW facilities (North and South) also take latex paint as part of household hazardous waste. Latex paint may NOT go in curbside garbage (not classified as hazardous in WA, but King County recommends PaintCare or HHW). For small amounts, dry out and dispose with lids off.

Local rules

  • PaintCare Washington launched based on the state's Paint Stewardship Law: PaintCare operates drop-off sites across the state funded by a per-container fee at purchase — covers architectural paints, primers, stains, varnishes, and sealers up to 5 gallons.

Worth knowing

  • PaintCare Washington accepts latex AND oil-based paint at the same drop-off sites — unlike some states where HHW handles the oil-based stuff. Sherwin-Williams, Miller Paint, and Rodda Paint are the most common Seattle-area PaintCare sites.

King County household hazardous waste

King County / Seattle HHW — North & South Facilities

Free for all King County residents. Two facilities: North (12550 Stone Ave N, Sun-Mon-Tue 9-5) and South (8100 2nd Ave S, Thu-Fri-Sat 9-5). No appointment needed.

(206) 296-4692 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

11 more Seattle rules, not specific to this item
  • Washington Electronic Product Recycling Law (RCW 70A.500, 2006): created E-Cycle Washington — one of the first state-level producer-funded e-waste programs in the US. Covers TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, tablets, e-readers, and portable DVD players. Manufacturers fund collection and recycling.
  • Seattle Director's Rule SW-404: bans batteries and covered electronics from municipal solid waste in Seattle (garbage, recycling carts, transfer stations). Violations result in a tag on the cart asking the resident to remove the items — no fines. Effective January 1, 2025 for batteries.
  • WA Battery EPR Law (SB 5144, signed May 11, 2023): producer-funded statewide battery collection program. Bans portable batteries (rechargeable and primary single-use) from the trash. Program implementation was still rolling out as of 2026; the law was driven partly by battery-caused fires at Seattle transfer stations and MRFs.
  • RCW 70A.205 — general solid waste management: electronics in the trash must be separated for recycling; disposal bans for lead-acid batteries, mercury-containing lights, and other universal wastes also apply. King County has additional local requirements.
  • Seattle's two permanent HHW facilities (North and South) run completely different schedules: North is Sun-Mon-Tue, South is Thu-Fri-Sat. They're closed Wednesday and Sunday — exactly the days people try to go. The North facility was originally described as having a different address (12550 Stone Ave N at the Seattle.gov page lists Sunday/Monday/Tuesday).
  • King County HHW accepts waste from ALL King County residents, not just Seattle residents — the North and South Seattle facilities plus the Factoria (Bellevue) site and traveling Wastemobile. This is unusually generous compared to city-only programs in other metros.
  • Seattle's Special Item Curbside Pickup includes one FREE battery pickup per year, a free small electronics box per year, free curbside motor oil/used cooking oil, and free styrofoam pickup — a genuinely useful program many Seattleites don't know they have.
  • E-Cycle Washington does NOT cover computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers), contrary to what many Seattle residents assume. Those go to Best Buy/Staples or the HHW facilities instead.
  • The Wastemobile has been running since 1989 — one of the longest-running mobile HHW collection programs in the US. It visits ~20 locations/year across King County from February through October.
  • Battery-caused fires at Seattle transfer stations and in collection trucks have been a major safety driver behind both the Seattle SW-404 ban and the state battery EPR law. Seattle's South Transfer Station had multiple battery fires in 2024-2025.
  • King County's Haz Waste Help Line (206-296-4692) also gives advice on safer alternatives to hazardous household products — a free consultation service.

Other Seattle programs

  • North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste FacilityFree HHW drop-off for all King County residents. 12550 Stone Avenue North, Seattle 98133. Hours: Sunday/Monday/Tuesday 9 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Closed major holidays.
  • South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste FacilityFree HHW drop-off for all King County residents. 8100 2nd Ave S, Seattle 98108 (Recology site lists as 8105 Fifth Avenue S). Hours: Thursday/Friday/Saturday 9 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Closed major holidays.
  • Factoria HHW Drop-Off Service (Bellevue)Free HHW drop-off for all King County residents at 13800 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. Third permanent HHW site serving the Eastside.
  • King County WastemobileFree traveling HHW collection events across communities in King County, February through October. 10 AM-5 PM on listed dates. No fee. Standard HHW limits apply. Locations include UW Bothell Campus, Redmond Home Depot, Kent/Covington Fire Station 75, and others — rotates through the county. Year-round weekend location at The Outlet Collection in Auburn (1101 Outlet Collection Dr SW, every Sat-Sun).206-296-4692
  • E-Cycle Washington (state program)Free recycling for TVs, computers, laptops, monitors, tablets, e-readers, and portable DVD players. Producer-funded program (Chapter 70A.500 RCW) — free for Washington residents and small businesses. Hundreds of drop-off sites across the state. Peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers) not covered — take to Best Buy or Staples for free.800-732-9253
  • PaintCare WashingtonStatewide paint stewardship program. Free drop-off for latex and oil-based architectural paints, primers, stains, sealers, shellac, and varnish at participating retailers (Sherwin-Williams, Miller Paint, Rodda Paint, Ace Hardware, True Value, and others). Containers up to 5 gallons accepted. Funded by per-container fee at point of sale.855-724-6809
  • SPU Special Item Curbside PickupSeattle Public Utilities customers can schedule on-demand curbside pickup for batteries, small electronics, lightbulbs, styrofoam, and more. Batteries: first pickup FREE per year ($5 after), limit 2 one-gallon bags, tape ends. Small electronics box: first pickup FREE ($20 after), max 2'x2'x2'/60 lb. Large items (furniture, appliances, TVs over 2'x2'x2'): $31/item. Schedule online or at 206-684-3000.206-684-3000
  • Call2Recycle / Battery Network (drop-off)Free rechargeable and lithium-ion battery drop-off at participating Seattle-area Home Depot, Lowe's, Staples, and other retailers. Do NOT bring damaged, defective, or recalled batteries (DDR) to collection sites.
  • Home Collection Program (King County)Free at-home HHW pickup for King County residents age 65+ or with a disability who cannot access a collection site. Operates Wednesdays 9 AM-3 PM, but may have a backlog. Does NOT collect latex paint, tires, electronics, or medications.206-296-4692
  • Best Buy & Staples (retail take-back)Best Buy accepts most electronics free (limit 3 items/day per household). Staples accepts up to 7 items/day free, plus ink/toner cartridges with Staples Rewards ($2/cartridge). Both accept keyboards, printers, and other peripherals not covered by E-Cycle Washington.
  • Auburn Wastemobile (year-round weekend)Year-round weekend HHW collection at The Outlet Collection Mall, 1101 Outlet Collection Dr SW, Auburn. Every Saturday and Sunday 10 AM-5 PM. No appointment needed. Free for King County residents.
Where this came from: 19 sources

Common questions

About Latex Paint Disposal here

How much does Latex Paint disposal cost in this area?

All 4 facilities accept Latex Paint for free.

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

No appointment needed. North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility, South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Sherwin-Williams (Seattle) - PaintCare Drop-Off, PaintCare Washington - Statewide Paint Recycling Program accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Latex Paint?

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

Are there quantity limits for Latex Paint drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Residential quantities; South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Residential quantities; Sherwin-Williams (Seattle) - PaintCare Drop-Off: Up to 5 gallons per container; PaintCare Washington - Statewide Paint Recycling Program: Up to 5 gallons per container, 10 gallons per trip recommended.

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.

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