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 18 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, 291 year-round sites"]
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.

Not documented yet. This operator has not published what happens to each kind of item, and we have not been able to establish it from anywhere else. That is the gap, stated rather than hidden. If you ask them, tell us what they say.

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

    No appointment needed.

  • Typical wait

    Needs reports

    Not established

    Nobody has told us how long they waited. Two reader reports would settle it.

  • Do they answer

    Needs reports

    Not established

    We read their pages, we did not phone them. One reader who got through would settle it.

  • Restrictions

    Needs reports

    Not established

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

  • Who it's for

    Needs reports

    Not established

    Nothing published about who may use it.

  • Last checked

    Pipeline

    18 August 2026

    Checked against the sources listed on this page.

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.

  • Reuse

    Buy Nothing Project

    Buy Nothing Project

    Takes
    furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
    Where
    Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
    Booking
    By appointment
    View → Checked 18 Aug 2026

  • Reuse

    Evergreen Goodwill donation centers

    Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington · including Ballard Goodwill

    Takes
    clothes, textiles, furniture, books, and 3 more
    View → Checked 18 Aug 2026

  • Reuse

    The Salvation Army donation pickup

    The Salvation Army

    Takes
    furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
    Where
    Nationwide
    Booking
    Book online
    View → Checked 18 Aug 2026

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