Latex Paint
Latex paint is not hazardous waste and can be safely thrown away with your regular trash once it is solid. Because garbage collectors cannot pick up liquids, simply leave the lid off and mix in sand, sawdust, or kitty litter to speed up the drying process. Once it is solid, place the can next to your trash with the lid off so your garbage collector can see that the paint is dry. For communities that use garbage carts, such as the City of Cincinnati, place dried cans inside your garbage cart with the lid off.
How to Dry Out Your Latex Paint
Matthew 25 Ministries (M25M)
Matthew 25 Ministries (M25M) may accept your usable liquid latex paint.
M25M reblends the usable liquid latex paint and helps low-budget nonprofits, schools and public facilities complete maintenance, rehab and upgrade projects at a low cost. M25M also sends the reblended latex paint to underdeveloped countries for their use.
Disposal Guidelines
Please follow the guidelines prior to dropping off and contact Matthew 25 with questions at 513-793-6256.
- Cans without original labels are not accepted
- No oil bases or combustible paint accepted.
- No empty or nearly empty cans; should be at least 1/3 full
- No dried paint cans
- No deck stain
- Only original containers with labels-no make-shift bottles or cartons
- Latex paint should never have been frozen, if it has, it is unusable
ReUse Center
ReUse Center also accepts latex paint for $2 per gallon and sells the reblended paint at a discount.
Interactive Calculator
Reduce waste by only purchasing the volume of paint you will need. Use this interactive calculator so you don't buy more paint than you really need.
Household Hazardous Waste
For information to safely dispose of household hazardous waste, visit the Household Hazardous Products page.