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Paint Disposal · Denver, CO

Latex Paint Disposal in Denver

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 Denver

1 free · 2 fee-based

Facility Cost Open now Notes
PaintCare Colorado — Sherwin-Williams / Kelly-Moore Free
PaintCare fee included in purchase price		 Hours not published Walk-in Colorado has a PaintCare program — drop off unused paint at participating retailers.
Paid or fee-based options
Rooney Road Recycling Center(303) 269-9448 Depends on the item
Electronics: per-item fee. HHW: $0-$3 per item		 Wed & Sat 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM (by appointment) Appointment Award-winning HHW facility owned by Jefferson County coalition.
WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW)(800) 449-7587 Ask when you book
Varies by kit size		 Hours not published Appointment Pickup avail. WM At Your Door (formerly 'Door-to-Door' program) serves Denver and Aurora residents.

How it works in Denver

Free drop-off at any of 60+ metro Denver PaintCare sites (5 gallons per visit max at most). Many are paint stores and hardware retailers — use paintcare.org locator. Funded by per-can fee at purchase. Latex paint dried with kitty litter is technically legal in trash but PaintCare is preferred. Free at Rooney Road and Veolia too.

Local rules

  • Colorado Architectural Paint Stewardship Act: PaintCare program operational in Colorado since July 2015. Fee added to new paint at retail funds free statewide collection of latex, oil-based, stains, varnish.

Worth knowing

  • Rooney Road runs Wed and Sat by appointment only (303-316-6262). Latex/oil paint and used motor oil are free drop-offs. Curbside pickup is available for residents physically unable to drive ($40 co-pay).
  • Colorado is one of only a few states with a PaintCare program that offers free household door-to-door pickup for 10+ gallons, not just drop-off sites.

Denver County (HHW via Jefferson County / Rooney Road) household hazardous waste

Rooney Road Recycling Center (Jefferson County)

Jefferson County residents. Wed & Sat by appointment. Paint and motor oil free; per-item HHW fee.

(303) 269-9448 Official program page (opens in a new tab)

12 more Denver rules, not specific to this item
  • Colorado Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133), effective July 1, 2013: landfill ban on TVs, computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, laptops, tablets, DVD players, VCRs, radios, and video game consoles. Landfills, transfer stations and haulers must post conspicuous notice.
  • Colorado HB22-1355 Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling (signed June 3, 2022): EPR for packaging and paper. Circular Action Alliance is the PRO; producers had to register by Oct 1, 2024. Free residential packaging recycling rolling out statewide by mid-2026.
  • Colorado SB25-163 Battery Stewardship Act (signed June 4, 2025): producers must join a battery stewardship organization beginning Aug 1, 2027; landfill disposal of covered batteries prohibited starting Jan 1, 2030.
  • Denver Pay-As-You-Throw ordinance (in effect since Jan 2023): volume-based trash pricing ($9.75/35-gal, $13.75/65-gal, $21.75/95-gal monthly), with weekly recycling and weekly compost included at no extra charge.
  • Denver 'Waste No More' ordinance (Initiated Ordinance 306, voter-approved 2022; enforcement begins September 2026): requires multifamily buildings (8+ units), non-residential buildings, food businesses, and events to provide recycling and composting alongside trash.
  • Colorado SB26-003 (2026 session): creates the first state-level EV propulsion-battery stewardship framework in the US — CDPHE will certify qualified recyclers by July 2027, with mandatory producer-funded collection starting Aug 1, 2028.
  • Denver County has no large permanent HHW facility of its own; the City refers most heavy HHW to Rooney Road Recycling Center in Jefferson County (151 South Rooney Road, Golden) or to Veolia in Henderson (Adams County). Eligibility and fees depend on whether your jurisdiction is a paying participant.
  • Denver Recycles weekly compost cart service is bundled into the PAYT fee citywide as of 2023 — one of the few US cities to make residential composting universal at no extra charge.
  • Denver Treecycle: free Christmas tree drop-off in early January; trees are mulched and the mulch is given back to residents free at the May Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale. Trees left for regular trash pickup are NOT composted.
  • Best Buy in metro Denver still charges $29.99 to recycle CRT TVs/monitors (flat-panels free), reflecting the high handling cost of leaded glass after the e-waste ban.
  • Free statewide packaging recycling under HB22-1355 is being phased in — residents in covered jurisdictions get curbside recycling at no charge starting in mid-2026.
  • Denver's 'Waste No More' ordinance (voter-approved 2022) enforcement was delayed to September 2026, giving multifamily and commercial buildings extra time to comply with mandatory recycling and composting requirements.

Other Denver programs

  • Denver Recycles Household Hazardous Waste ProgramCity-run HHW program for Denver residents only. Offers free paint drop-off (via PaintCare partnership) and at-your-door HHW collection by appointment; battery disposal guidance. Call 3-1-1 for current scheduling/cost details.311 (or 720-913-1311)
  • PaintCare ColoradoFree year-round drop-off of latex/oil-based paint, primers, stains, sealers, shellac, and varnish at 220+ Colorado sites (60+ in metro Denver). 5 gallons per visit at most sites. Door-to-door household pickup for 10+ gallons in the Denver metro; free large-volume pickup for contractors with 100+ gallons. Funded by per-can fee added at retail.1-855-724-6809 (locator); 720-854-8722 (household pickup)
  • Veolia Colorado HHW Recycling Center (Henderson)Regional HHW center at 9131 E. 96th Ave, Henderson. Serves Adams and neighboring county residents by appointment. Architectural paint accepted free (PaintCare); other chemicals/electronics $30 facility fee + $1.66/lb. Accepts antifreeze, motor oil, batteries, propane, fire extinguishers, computers, monitors, TVs, printers.303-526-8155
  • Blue Star Recyclers (Denver)Nonprofit, e-Stewards and NAID AAA certified electronics recycler. Accepts TVs, CRTs, computers, printers, batteries, bulbs. Provides on-site/off-site hard-drive data destruction. Employs workers with autism and other disabilities.303-534-1667
  • PCs for People Colorado501(c)(3) with NAID AAA + R2 certifications. Free white-glove pickup for businesses with 15+ usable computers; drop-off for households. Refurbishes devices for low-income families; zero-landfill for non-refurb.
  • Call2Recycle (The Battery Network)National rechargeable-battery and cell-phone drop-off network. Free at Home Depot, Lowe's, Batteries Plus, Staples, and many municipal sites across metro Denver. Accepts Li-ion, NiCd, NiMH, lead acid (small sealed). Lithium terminals must be taped before drop-off.1-877-723-1297
  • GreenSheen Paint (Denver)Local PaintCare-affiliated paint recycler offering free residential paint pickup in Denver, Arapahoe, Adams, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Teller, and Jefferson counties. Hosts periodic free paint-recycling events.720-854-8722
  • Eco-Cycle (Boulder/Longmont area, serving Denver metro)Nonprofit recycler operating CHaRM facilities and offering zero-waste resources, education, and hard-to-recycle collection events. Provides residential and commercial recycling services in the broader Denver metro area.303-444-6634
  • Denver Compost Collection ProgramWeekly curbside compost pick-up included with Pay-As-You-Throw trash service at no extra charge. Accepts food scraps, yard waste, compostable paper products. One of few US cities to make residential composting universal at no additional fee.
Where this came from: 13 sources

Common questions

About Latex Paint Disposal here

How much does Latex Paint disposal cost in this area?

1 of 3 facilities (33%) offer free disposal for Latex Paint. Facilities that may charge: Rooney Road Recycling Center, WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW). Rooney Road Recycling Center: Paint and motor oil: free. Electronics: per-item fee. HHW: $0-$3 per item.. WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW): Varies by kit size.

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

2 facilities require an appointment: Rooney Road Recycling Center, WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW). PaintCare Colorado — Sherwin-Williams / Kelly-Moore accept walk-ins.

Is pickup available for Latex Paint?

Yes, 1 facility offers pickup: WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW).

Are there quantity limits for Latex Paint drop-off?

Some facilities have limits: PaintCare Colorado — Sherwin-Williams / Kelly-Moore: 5 gallons per visit; WM At Your Door (Mail-In Paint & HHW): 5 gallons per kit.

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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