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Paint Disposal · Tampa, FL

Latex Paint Disposal in Tampa

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 Tampa

2 free · 1 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
Hillsborough County HHW & Electronics Collection(813) 272-5680 Free
for Hillsborough County residents		 5 CCC locations: Mon-Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (varies) Walk-in 5 Community Collection Centers plus monthly HHW events.
Hillsborough County Paint Disposal (HHW Centers)(813) 272-5680 Free
for Hillsborough County residents		 Mon-Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (varies by location) Walk-in 5 Community Collection Centers accept paint year-round.
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 Tampa. Online booking with upfront pricing.

How it works in Tampa

Hillsborough County accepts both latex and oil-based paint, plus stain and varnish, at all five CCCs year-round — containers must be sealed and not leaking. The cap is 10 one-gallon containers OR 5 five-gallon containers per household per month. Dried-out latex (hardened with kitty litter or paint hardener) can also go in regular garbage per general FL DEP guidance.

Local rules

  • Hillsborough County's Community Collection Center policy: maximum 5 intact household electronic items per household per month (excluding monitors, keyboards, routers, mice) and paint limits of 10 one-gallon or 5 five-gallon containers per household per month.

Worth knowing

  • HHW events (paint chemicals, propane, fuels) only run on Saturdays once a month per facility — Sheldon Road on the 1st Saturday, South County on the 2nd, Hillsborough Heights on the 3rd. Electronics/paint/batteries at the CCCs operate full Mon-Sat hours separately.
  • Florida is NOT a PaintCare state, so there is no producer-funded paint takeback network like in CA/CO/OR. All household paint disposal in Tampa flows through the County CCCs.

Hillsborough County household hazardous waste

Hillsborough County HHW & Electronics Collection

Accepts HHW at collection sites across the county.

(813) 272-5680 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

14 more Tampa rules, not specific to this item
  • Florida Statute 403.7185 imposes a $1.50 lead-acid battery fee on each new/remanufactured lead-acid battery sold at retail in Florida; statute also bars landfilling of lead-acid batteries.
  • Florida Statute 403.7192 governs rechargeable batteries: manufacturers/marketers must inform purchasers that the batteries are banned from the solid-waste stream and must accept returned waste batteries at designated collection sites.
  • Florida has NO statewide mandatory e-waste/electronics recycling law; FDEP issued non-binding 'Regulatory Guidelines for the Management of Unwanted Electronic Products' (June 16, 2008). For households, recycling is recommended but not legally required.
  • Florida Statute 403.717 et seq. (Florida Hazardous Waste Management Act): applies to commercial/industrial hazardous waste generators and transporters; household hazardous waste is exempt under federal RCRA household-hazardous-waste exclusion.
  • Florida Chapter 62-730 (FAC) Universal Waste Rule: regulates the management of universal wastes including mercury-containing lamps, recalled pesticides, and certain batteries to encourage recycling over disposal.
  • Hillsborough County Code Chapter 20.5 (Solid Waste): authorizes the county to regulate solid waste collection, disposal, and recycling programs including CCC operations, fees, and prohibited materials.
  • Tampa city residents do NOT have a city-run HHW facility — the City of Tampa stopped hosting its own annual collection event and contracts with Hillsborough County. Tampa/Temple Terrace residents must drive to a County CCC and show a driver's license to use the service for free.
  • Hillsborough County experienced 30+ garbage and recycling truck fires over roughly three years, driving the regional Fire Prevention & Battery Recovery Campaign launched October 2025 — the first program of its kind in the Tampa Bay region.
  • Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) in Hillsborough County are explicitly directed to the regular GARBAGE cart, never the recycling cart, and are NOT accepted at CCCs or HHW events.
  • Hurricane-season quirk: after major storms (Helene/Milton in 2024), Hillsborough Heights and the County's Resource Recovery Facility have been opened 24 hours for storm debris. Electronics and appliances from storm debris are sorted out and sent to dedicated recyclers rather than landfilled.
  • Inter-local agreement: Tampa and Temple Terrace are covered by Hillsborough County's CCC/HHW system at no charge, but unincorporated-County residents have a separate annual allowance (10 cubic yards of bulky waste/appliances, 12 tires) requiring a tax bill in addition to ID.
  • Self-tipping (using a dump trailer or trailer with hydraulic lift) is prohibited at Hillsborough County CCCs — all materials must be hand-unloaded, and closed-toe shoes are required on the tipping floor.
  • Tampa's curbside recycling (every-other-week pickup) has a by-law requiring city-provided lidded 65-gallon or 95-gallon carts only — no additional bins or bags are accepted for recycling collection.
  • The County's Northwest CCC (8001 W Linebaugh Ave) and Hillsborough Heights CCC (6209 CR 579, Seffner) are the two sites also offering the Donation & Waste Diversion Program — items left there are sorted for reuse rather than disposal.

Other Tampa programs

  • Hillsborough County Community Collection Centers (CCCs)Year-round drop-off for electronics, paint, batteries, tires, large appliances, and bulky waste. Mon-Sat 7:30AM-5PM (closed 12PM-12:30PM daily). Locations include Northwest County (8001 W Linebaugh Ave, Tampa), South County (13000 S US Hwy 41, Gibsonton), and Hillsborough Heights (6209 County Road 579, Seffner), plus additional Community Collection Centers countywide — see hcfl.gov for the current list. City of Tampa residents can use all locations with valid Florida ID showing Hillsborough County address.
  • Hillsborough County HHW Monthly Saturday EventsMonthly first-Saturday HHW collection at Sheldon Road (1st Sat, 8001 W Linebaugh Ave, 8AM-2PM), second-Saturday at South County (13000 S US 41, Gibsonton), third-Saturday at Hillsborough Heights (6209 CR 579, Seffner). Accepts paints, chemicals, pesticides, propane tanks, automotive fluids. City of Tampa residents eligible with county address on ID.
  • Hillsborough County Fire Prevention & Battery Recovery CampaignLaunched October 2025 in partnership with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and regional franchise haulers. Pushes lithium-ion battery drop-off at CCCs and retail partners to reduce truck and MRF fires after 30+ regional incidents.
  • Call2Recycle drop-off networkFree retail drop-off for rechargeable, lithium-ion, and cell phone batteries at Tampa-area Home Depot and Lowe's stores (multiple Dale Mabry Hwy and Hillsborough Ave locations).
  • Tampa Bay Recycles regional partnershipJoint regional education effort between Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, City of Tampa, and City of St. Petersburg covering curbside recycling rules and contamination prevention.
  • Audi Tampa — Redwood Materials battery takebackAudi dealerships participating in the Redwood Materials program accept consumer lithium batteries (not full EV packs) for collection and refining.
  • Batteries Plus — Tampa locationsFree recycling for rechargeable and single-use batteries plus fluorescent bulbs/tubes at Tampa-area Batteries Plus stores. Also accepts small electronics (phones, tablets) and ballasts for recycling (some fees may apply).
  • Cooking Oil Recycling Effort (CORE) — Hillsborough CountyFree drop-off for used cooking oil at all five CCC locations and select fire stations. Accepts vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and other cooking oils in sealed containers. No motor oil, no commercial quantities. Collected oil is converted into biodiesel.
  • Hillsborough County Donation & Waste Diversion ProgramAt Northwest CCC, South County CCC, and Hillsborough Heights CCC, staff sort reusable items (furniture, building materials, bikes, toys) from the waste stream and divert them to local non-profits for reuse. Free way to declutter while supporting the community.
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. Hillsborough County HHW & Electronics Collection, Hillsborough County Paint Disposal (HHW Centers) 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: Hillsborough County Paint Disposal (HHW Centers): 10 gallons latex paint.

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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