City Cast DC logo

How to Recycle Paint In the DMV

Posted on July 11, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

old paint

What to do with all this old paint? (Mian Condro/Getty Images)

This "3 Questions With" comes from a sponsored interview in partnership with PaintCare.

So you’ve finished that DIY project (and may I just say, that Ikea shelf looks magnificent), but now you’re stuck with smelly paint cans in your studio apartment. You can’t keep them there, but you know throwing them away is horrible for the environment. So how do you get rid of it? We chatted with paint recycling expert Brett Rodgers from Paintcare to find out.

How do I get rid of paint safely?

“The best thing is to use the old waste slogan ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.’ First, try and buy the exact right amount. Then, if there's any opportunity to reuse it or give it to a neighbor or community group, do that. If you can't reuse it, that's where recycling comes in and Paintcare makes that really easy.”

Why is recycling paint so important?

“Recycling paint keeps harmful chemicals out of streams and landfills, protecting our environment and communities. It also removes the burden of managing leftover paint waste from community trash or household hazardous waste services.”

How can people find somewhere to drop off their old paint?

“Paintcare has year-round locations where you can take unwanted paint, stain, varnish, and other accepted products for reuse or recycling. Find a drop-off site near you with the PaintCare site locator. Households and businesses with at least 100 gallons can ask for a direct pickup any time.”

Find Your Nearest Paint Drop-Off Location

Share article

Hey DC

Get smart about D.C. with our news roundup and analysis.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

3 Questions With

See All
3 Questions WithAugust 28, 2024

3 Questions About Lucy the DC Pig, Navy Yard’s Unofficial Mascot

But imagine deciding to bring a mini potbelly pig into your city life!

The Navy Yard neighborhood. All this picture needs now is Lucy the DC Pig! (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
3 Questions WithOctober 30, 2023

What It's Like To Travel With DC's Alliance Française

We chatted with Alliance Française, a local non-profit providing D.C. residents with all the expertise on French culture, from wine and f...

A french chateau
3 Questions WithOctober 26, 2023

What to Know About DC's New Loggia Townes Development

These new luxury townhomes bring new high-end housing to the Cleveland Park neighborhood.

An artist's rendering of the Loggia Townes townhomes.
3 Questions WithSeptember 20, 2023

A DC Developer Takes Us Inside Kite House at The Parks

Developer Jonathon Quince discusses Kite House, a new condo building in Takoma, D.C. Kite House is situated on the original site of the W...

A wide view of a cleanly furnish condo with a large French door-style stainless steel fridge and matching appliances, a bar with high-backed seating, and a living room with a gold and marble coffee table.
3 Questions WithAugust 18, 2023

The Inside Scoop on DC’s New Go-go Museum

After being in the works for almost a decade, D.C. is finally getting a go-go museum, and it’s going to be just as organic and celebrator...

Rendering of the go-go bus.
3 Questions WithAugust 11, 2023

What Goes Into Building a New DC High School

This fall, D.C. will open its first new neighborhood high school in decades. Harold McCray, the new principal of MacArthur High School in...

An ad for MacArthur High School on Metrobus.
3 Questions WithAugust 4, 2023

The Man Behind DC’s Finest Dining

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a top D.C. chef? Danny Lledó, the chef and owner of Xiquet in Glover Park, tells us what makes the D.C....

Chef Danny Lledó.
3 Questions WithJuly 28, 2023

Everything You Need To Know About Kids World

The first-ever Kids World is coming to Franklin Square this weekend with an array of food, installations, and activities meant for kids 3...

Kids World being set up in Franklin Park.