How to get rid of old paint in Massachusetts
Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA
Liquid paint never goes in the trash or down the drain in Massachusetts. Latex paint that has fully dried can go out with the trash. Oil-based paint should go to your town's household hazardous waste collection, and MassDEP says not to dry it out for the trash. There is no statewide paint take-back program, so what is available depends on your town.
- Liquid paint in the trash?
- Never
- Dried latex paint in the trash?
- Yes, when completely dry
- Oil-based paint
- Town hazardous waste collection
- Statewide paint take-back
- None (PaintCare is not in Massachusetts)
- JunkRun
- Does not take paint
Is it banned from the trash?
Paint is not one of the materials on MassDEP's list of materials banned from disposal, but it is a household hazardous product. MassDEP's guidance is blunt: do not put liquid paint in the trash or down the drain. The state's recycling page says household hazardous products don't belong in your recycling bin, in the trash, or down the drain.
First work out which kind you have. Latex paint is labeled as such or has instructions to clean up with water. Anything else, including alkyd and mineral-spirits clean-up paint, is oil-based. Old oil based paints and marine paints may contain lead, mercury, chromium or cadmium, which is the reason they get separate handling.
There is no statewide take-back program. PaintCare runs paint take-back programs in states with paint stewardship laws, and Massachusetts is not among the states it lists. A state commission has only described how a Massachusetts program would work if established.
Do this, in order
- 1
Read the can. Water clean-up means latex. Mineral spirits, alkyd or "combustible" means oil-based.
- 2
Still pourable and plenty left? Offer it to a theater group or community organization, unless it is old oil-based paint that may contain lead.
- 3
Latex you do not want: take the lid off and dry it in the can, or stir in kitty litter. Trash it only when it is solid.
- 4
Oil-based paints and stains are flammable, so keep them in the original can, away from sparks and heat, until collection day.
- 5
Find your town below and write down the date, the address, and whether it charges per can.
- 6
Empty cans go in the trash with the lids off.
Your options, free to hauled
Cheapest first. Most people can stop at step one or two; the last step is for when you want it gone today.
- 1
Use it up or give it away
FreeIf the paint is still good and there is a reasonable quantity, MassDEP suggests you try to donate it to a community service organization or theater group. The exception is paint that contains lead, mercury, chromium or cadmium: do NOT use up and do NOT give away, because the toxic metals stay in the painted item.
- 2
Dry out latex and put it in the trash
FreeLatex paint can be disposed of as trash if dry. To dry small amounts, remove lid and let the paint dry in the can. For larger amounts, mix in kitty litter or pour one-inch layers of paint in a cardboard box lined with a plastic bag, stirring now and then, and put it out only when it is completely dry.
- 3
Empty cans are easy
FreeEmpty paint cans may be accepted in community scrap metal programs. If not, they can go in the trash. Leave lids off so the hauler can see that the can is empty.
- 4
Take oil-based paint to a collection day
Low costDo not dry out oil-based paints, stains, or wood finishes for disposal in the trash, because the fumes are air pollutants. MassDEP's advice is to take surplus paint to the municipal surplus paint collection program, if available, and otherwise save it for a hazardous household waste collection. Paint that has already hardened is different: hardened oil-based paint can also be disposed of in the trash. Access is uneven: the state's 2026 commission report says only 23% of Massachusetts residents have access to year-round paint collection, so check your town's date in the table below.
What towns do about paint
Fees and rules as read from each town's own page in November 2026. Programs change, so confirm with the town before you go.
- SaugusOil-based paintNo cost to residents, no appointmentLatexNot accepted; dry it, curbside trashWhenOne annual Saturday day, 9 am-noon, Belmonte STEAM Academy in 2026; watch the town noticesSource
- BostonOil-based paint20 gallon total limit on paint, oil and chemicals, containers 5 gal. or less, residents with ID; no fee statedLatexDry it and trashWhenSeveral Zero Waste Days a year; see the schedule
- MaldenOil-based paint$10 (1-5 gal.), $15 (6-10), $20 (11-15), $25 (16-20), $3 per gallon over 20; cash only; paint accepted until 1 pmLatexNot acceptedWhenSeasonal Saturdays at the DPW Yard, 356 Commercial St.; call 781-397-7160Source
- LynnOil-based paint$43 up to 3 gal., $55 up to 10, $85 for 11-25; cash or checkLatexNot acceptedWhenA few Saturdays a year, 8 am-noon at 250 Commercial St.; call 781-380-7177Source
- MedfordOil-based paintPaint shed, labeled cans, 5 gal. limit per householdLatexAccepted at the shedWhenA few Saturdays a year, 9 am-noon, City Yard, 21 James St.Source
- ReadingOil-based paintHazardous Waste Day held each spring (fee not stated)LatexDry it, curbsideWhenSpring; DPW 781-942-9077Source
- WalthamOil-based paintMinuteman, Lexington: oil and lead-based paint, no direct charge to residentsLatexNot accepted at MinutemanWhenOne weekend date a month, April to November; pre-registerSource
- StonehamOil-based paintOil-based paint is Hazardous Waste Day only; fees applyLatexNot statedWhenAnnual day; DPW 781-438-0760Source
- WinchesterOil-based paintOil paint and oil stain not accepted at the Transfer Station; call Board of HealthLatexNot statedWhenCall 781-721-7121Source
- PeabodyOil-based paintNot accepted at the Farm Ave recycling center; the city hosts a hazardous waste day (June in the 2026 schedule)LatexNot statedWhenPublic Services, 50 Farm Ave; call 978-538-5926Source
What JunkRun does about paint
We do not pick up paint, solvents or other hazardous waste. If the paint is part of a garage or basement cleanout, set the cans aside for your town's collection day and we take everything else.
A cleanout is priced by how much of the trailer it fills. Text a photo of the pile and you get one flat price before we arrive.
Cleanout loads start at the $159 minimum: a ¼ trailer is $209, a ½ trailer $319, a full trailer $519.
Edge cases
What if I miss my town's hazardous waste day?
Keep the paint sealed in its original can, away from heat and sparks, until the next one. Oil-based paints and stains are flammable. Many towns post only one or two collection days a year, so look up the next date on your town's page now and put it in your calendar.
My town does not take latex paint. Now what?
Some towns say so on their own pages. Malden takes oil-based paint on its collection days and does not accept latex. That fits MassDEP's advice: dry the latex and put it in the trash.
Is old paint from an old house a problem?
It can be. Old oil based paints and marine paints may contain lead, mercury, chromium or cadmium, and MassDEP says do NOT use up and do NOT give away paint that contains them. Take it to a collection day.
I am clearing out a house. What do I do with fifty cans?
Sort latex from oil-based. Dry the latex and trash it. Take the oil-based cans to your town's collection, and ask the town about quantity limits first. We take the rest of the house.
Quick answers
Can I put paint cans in the trash in Massachusetts?
+
Only empty cans, with the lids off, and latex paint that has fully dried. MassDEP says liquid paint of either kind should never go in the trash or down the drain.
How do I dry out latex paint?
+
Remove the lid and let a small amount dry in the can. For larger amounts, mix in kitty litter or spread one-inch layers in a lined cardboard box, stir now and then, and put it out when completely dry. This is MassDEP's method.
What do I do with oil-based paint?
+
Take it to your town's hazardous waste collection or paint program. MassDEP says not to dry oil-based paint out for the trash because of the fumes. Check your town's hazardous waste day.
Does Massachusetts have PaintCare?
+
No. PaintCare operates only in states with paint stewardship laws and Massachusetts is not on its list. A state commission has studied a Massachusetts program but it is not in place.
Will JunkRun take my paint?
+
No. We do not take paint, solvents or other hazardous waste. We take the rest of a garage or basement cleanout.
Sources
Checked November 2026. Programs and fees change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with your town.
- MassDEP: Waste disposal bans: “Materials Currently Banned from Disposal or Transfer for Disposal in Massachusetts”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Do not put liquid paint in the trash or down the drain.”
- Mass.gov: How & Where to Recycle: “These items don't belong in your recycling bin, in the trash, or down the drain.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Latex paint is labeled as such or has instructions to clean up with water.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Old oil based paints and marine paints may contain lead, mercury, chromium or cadmium”
- PaintCare: “In states with paint stewardship laws, we operate recycling programs on behalf of paint companies.”
- PaintCare: “California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Illinois Maine Maryland Minnesota New York Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington”
- MassDEP: Extended Producer Responsibility Commission report: “If established, a state-approved paint stewardship program should consist of the roles and responsibilities”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “try to donate it to a community service organization or theater group”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Do NOT use up and do NOT give away.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Latex paint can be disposed of as trash if dry.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “To dry small amounts, remove lid and let the paint dry in the can.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “For larger amounts, mix in kitty litter or pour one-inch layers of paint in a cardboard box lined with a plastic bag.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Do not dry out oil-based paints, stains, or wood finishes for disposal in the trash.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Take to the municipal surplus paint collection program, if available.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “they should be saved for a hazardous household waste collection”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Hardened oil-based paint can also be disposed of in the trash.”
- MassDEP: Extended Producer Responsibility Commission report: “only 23% of Massachusetts residents have access to year-round paint collection”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Empty paint cans may be accepted in community scrap metal programs.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Leave lids off so the hauler can see that the can is empty.”
- MassDEP: Guide to Safely Managing Hazardous Household Products: “Oil based paints and stains are flammable - store away from sources of sparks or heat.”