Paint, Paint Cans & Coatings

Paint, paint thinner, paint remover, stains, and varnishes are banned from the trash in Vermont. Unwanted paint, paint thinner, stains, varnishes, other coatings, and paint chips are accepted at the HazWaste Center at the District Transfer Station. Used oil-based (alkyd) paint should never be thrown in the trash, even if it appears to have dried out. Latex paint and joint compounds are not hazardous and may be allowed to dry out and then thrown out with your regular trash disposal. Remove the lid and allow the paint to dry, or add an absorbent material such as kitty litter to speed up the process. Check out more information on what to do with leftover latex paint (PDF).

The State of Vermont has a product stewardship program for paint handled by the organization PaintCare (links to the PaintCare webpage for Vermont). PaintCare processes discarded paint into recycled paint, where it can be used as fuel, made into other products or properly disposed of if there is no other use. Hardware stores in your area may also take paint with PaintCare. Please look at the PaintCare Website's Site Locator tool for addresses and contact information of collection locations.

Furniture or wood covered with lead paint can be disposed of as regular household trash or construction and demolition waste.

At this time, metal paint cans are not recyclable as scrap metal at the District Transfer Station. They must be disposed of in the trash. Plastic paint cans should also be disposed of as trash, even though they will often have a recycling symbol on the bottom. Paint cans are not accepted for recycling because of the potential for residual paint left in the can. When mixed with rainwater, leakage can occur and compromise all the other recyclable materials.