Do you have oil paint or latex paint?

An easy way to tell the difference between oil and latex is to look at the can’s cleaning instructions. If it says to clean up with water, then you know you have latex paint.

Oil Paint​

Oil-based paint and stain are to be treated and disposed of as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Please see the HHW pages for information on disposal.

Latex Paint

Latex paint is water-based and has a very low level of toxicity. Disposing of it as hazardous waste is unnecessary and very expensive, so most facilities do not accept it. Therefore, the Illinois EPA and Kane County encourage people with unwanted latex paint to use other options.

In order of best practice, here are some ways to manage excess latex paint:

Buy a smaller can. The best way to reduce waste is by buying only as much as you need.

Use it up. Add an extra coat or paint something els​e. Use an old piece of cardboard, some scrap lumber, or the inside of your garage. Let the empty can dry and recycle it.

Recycle any empty paint cans and lids that you may have; a thin coating of dried paint on the inside walls and bottom is ok. Put them in with your household recycling.

Donate or share it. Find a friend or neighbor who needs to paint a small area.

Dry it out. Dried latex paint can be disposed of in your regular household trash. Add kitty litter, sawdust, or shredded paper and stir it in to help the paint dry more quickly. Once solidified, place cans in the trash, lids off (in fact you can recycle the lids).

If you have large quantities that you need to get rid of all at once, call your waste hauler to inform them and ask how many stickers you will need to attach.

Store it for later. If you want to save the leftover paint for touch-ups, just cover the opening with plastic wrap, and replace the lid securely by hammering it down.​​​​​​​​​​​