JunkSpots

Nonprofit · Drop-off · Free

PaintCare Washington

A state-mandated paint take-back scheme with 291 drop-off sites across Washington, mostly at paint and hardware shops. Free, and it is the right route for latex paint.

Right for you if

  • You have half-used tins in the garage and the hazardous waste site turned the latex away.
  • It has to cost nothing.
  • You can get it there under your own steam.
  • You want to turn up without booking.

Look elsewhere if

  • You have no way of getting it there.

Contact and booking

Phone
Not published
Email
Not published
Book online
Booking page
Address
Not published
Opening hours
Not published
Website
Official website

Verification

Verified against an official source

Last checked 29 August 2026

That means we read a published source and it said this. It does not mean we watched them do it, or followed the material afterwards, that is a separate, deeper check this has not been through. How we check →

Sources

Part of How to get rid of stuff in Seattle.

Something wrong here?

Why use it

Leftover paint is the classic thing nobody knows what to do with, and in Washington it has its own answer. Latex paint is refused by King County's hazardous waste sites, so this is where it goes. They take house paint, primers, stains, sealers and clear coatings such as shellac and varnish. Drop-off is free because you already paid for it at the till, the fee is built into the price of the tin. Contractors and property managers with 100 gallons or more can book a free collection instead of driving it in.

Good for

  • paint

How it works

How you use it You take it there.
Cost Free to drop off, because the recycling was already paid for: a small PaintCare fee is added when paint is bought, from 65 cents to $2.75 depending on container size.
Booking No appointment needed.
Service area Washington State
Run by PaintCare, a nonprofit

Where your things go

A named destination is worth more than a stated intention, and both are worth more than silence. This is the row to read before you book: if your item's row is empty, ask them on the phone and tell us what they say.

Item
Reuses
Donates
Recycles
Disposes of
paint
Reuses Stated, not named
Donates Not published
Recycles Stated, not named
Disposes of Stated, not named
other items
Reuses Not published
Donates Not published
Recycles Stated, not named
Disposes of Stated, not named

Does it actually work

The part no company website tells you. Some of this comes from our checks, some from readers who used the service, and where nobody has told us yet, it says so.

  • Booking

    Their pages

    Drop off during site hours, no appointment. PaintCare ask you to contact every site to confirm hours and availability before you go. Up to 5 gallons per visit.

  • Typical wait

    Needs reports

    Not established

    Neither the Washington page nor the large volume pickup page states how long a pickup request takes to be scheduled. It would take PaintCare publishing a booking-to-collection window for the LVP service.

  • Do they answer

    Their pages

    Phone published: (855) PAINT09, offered as help with the large volume pickup form.

  • Restrictions

    Their pages

    Refuses paint thinners, mineral spirits and solvents, aerosol coatings, caulk, epoxies, glues and adhesives, asphalt, tar and bitumen products, roof patch and repair, two-component coatings and industrial maintenance coatings. Containers must be original, labelled, sealed and no larger than 5 gallons, and must not be leaking or empty. Up to 5 gallons per visit, some sites take more.

    Nothing published about what they refuse. If you are turned away, tell us what for.

  • Who it's for

    Their pages

    Households, businesses, government agencies and anyone else with leftover paint.

    Nothing published about who may use it.

  • Last checked

    Pipeline

    29 August 2026

    Checked against the sources listed on this page.

The Responsible Index, in full

Not a review score. 14 observable signals, each met only where the operator's own pages state it, and each linking to the page it was read from. Blanks are gaps in what they publish, not accusations. How the Index works →

States a few things about its process, and names nowhere.

5 of 14 signals met

  • Transparency

    1 of 3

    • Explains the sorting process
    • Publishes disposal partners
    • Provides documentation or receipts

  • Reuse

    1 of 3

    • Reuse-first policy stated
    • Donation partnerships
    • Resale channel

  • Recycling

    2 of 3

    • Specialist handling (e-waste, mattresses)
    • Material separation on site
    • Named recyclers

  • Operations

    1 of 3

    • Service scope is clear
    • Licence number published
    • Insurance stated

  • Local

    0 of 2

    • Named community partners
    • Local reuse contribution

The evidence behind it

  • Service scope is clear
    PaintCare offers drop-off sites throughout Washington where the public can take unwanted paint for recycling. These sites are available to households, businesses, government agencies, and others with leftover paint.

    https://www.paintcare.org/states/washington/ · 20 August 2026

  • Specialist handling (e-waste, mattresses)
    PaintCare sites accept house paint as well as primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings such as shellac and varnish.

    https://www.paintcare.org/states/washington/ · 20 August 2026

  • Reuse-first policy stated
    In general, paint is managed according to a policy of highest, best use. This means that some of the better-quality paint is made available to consumers through reuse programs, and most of the paint is recycled. If it can’t be reused or recycled, processors find the next best use for it.

    https://www.paintcare.org/faqs/ · 20 August 2026

  • Explains the sorting process
    Latex-based products make up about 80% of what PaintCare accepts at drop-off sites. Most of the paint is sent to processors and used to manufacturer recycled-content paint products. Some latex paint is used for concrete mixtures, landscaping materials, or as a component of daily cover for landfill management. A small percentage of dry latex paint is securely disposed of if no other use can be found.

    https://www.paintcare.org/faqs/ · 20 August 2026

  • Material separation on site
    Paint containers are separated by type, metal and plastic. Most containers are sent for recycling by paint processors. Some containers are sent to a landfill if they cannot be recycled.

    https://www.paintcare.org/faqs/ · 20 August 2026

14 signals checked against 2 pages on 29 August 2026. The Index measures what an operator publishes about itself. It cannot be bought, verification does not raise it, and it never touches the order Spots are listed in.

What happens to it

  • Recycled
  • Broken down for materials

This describes the route the item takes, as the operator states it. We do not claim a recovery rate we have not seen evidence for.

What readers told us

Used them recently?

How long you waited, what they refused, whether anyone picked up the phone. Those are the three facts no website publishes and the ones the next reader needs.

Tell us what happened

Alternatives in Seattle

Other places that will take things off your hands.

Read the full Seattle guide