HomeSalt Lake City, UTPaint DisposalLatex Paint Disposal

Paint Disposal · Salt Lake City, UT

Latex Paint Disposal in Salt Lake City

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 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

Free drop-off (any quantity within household amounts) at all three SL County HHW sites: Sandy, Salt Lake Valley Landfill, Trans-Jordan. The county explicitly does NOT accept empty or fully dried latex cans — small amounts that have dried solid in the can are the resident's responsibility. No PaintCare network exists 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 Latex Paint Disposal here

How much does Latex Paint disposal cost in this area?

All 3 facilities accept Latex Paint for free.

Do I need an appointment for Latex 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 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: 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.

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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