Accepted Products
Accepted Products
You can drop off your old or leftover residential paint for free at more than 400 recycling locations across Ontario. Recycling locations include some retail stores, as well as municipal depots, where you may already take many other recyclable household products. There are also over 300 municipal events per year where you can drop off paint for recycling. Upcoming events near you will be listed in our recycling locator.
Some recycling locations also offer free leftover paint to their communities through our PaintShare program. Use our recycling locator to find a PaintShare location near you.
When dropping off your paint remember:
- Paint must be in its original container, tightly sealed with the labels affixed.
- Do not mix different types of paint products together. Our recycling locations can’t accept paint which has been mixed with other products
- You can bring up to 10 containers of paint or 50 spray cans at a time (no larger than 30 litres or 30 kgs for paint or 680g / 24oz for paint aerosols)
- For more than 10 containers of paint or 50 spray cans, use our services for large volumes here.
- At municipal paint recycling locations, residency restrictions and daily drop-off amounts may vary. Check your municipality’s website or contact your nearest recycling location for full details.
Accepted Products:
Household Paint
We accept many types of paint, as well as empty paint containers.
- Interior and exterior water-based (latex, acrylic) and oil-based (alkyd, enamel) household paint
- Undercoat and primers (e.g. metal, wood, etc.)
- Empty containers of accepted products with original label (and original lid if liquid inside)
- Anti-rust paint
- Block filler
- Concrete and masonry paint
- Deck and floor paint or coatings (including elastomeric)
- Drywall paint
- Marine paint (unless registered under Pest Control Products Act)
- Melamine, stain and shellac
- Stain blocking paint
- Stucco paint
- Swimming pool paint (only single component)
- Textured paint
- Varnish and urethane (only single component)
- Wood finishing oil
- Wood preservatives (unless registered under Pest Control Products Act)
- Wood, masonry, driveway sealer, and water repellant (including tar based or bitumen based)
Aerosol Paint
All types of aerosol paint, including:
- Automotive
- Craft
- Industrial
Not Accepted Products:
The following types of paint and paint related products are excluded from the program.
NOTE: Some of these products are accepted by our household hazardous waste recycling program in Ontario. Visit the Ontario HHW page for full details.
- Unidentifiable, unknown, unlabeled, and non-original containers
- Containers with poor integrity (e.g. badly rusted, leaking, bulging, improperly sealed)
- Brushes, rags, and rollers
- Caulking compound, epoxies, glues, and adhesives
- Colorants
- Deck cleaners
- Household cleaners
- Non-aerosol automotive paint
- Non-aerosol industrial paints and finishes (e.g. baked-on, heat resistant, etc.)
- Non-aerosol traffic or line marking paint
- Paint for skating rinks and curling club floors
- Paint in glass containers
- Paint mixed with other products
- Resins
- Paint thinner, mineral spirits or solvents
- Patching stucco and spackling compounds
- Products registered as a pesticide under the Pest Control Products Act (has a P.C.P. registration number on label)
- Roof patch and repair
- Two-part or component paints containing catalyst or activator
- Waxes, polishes, sealants, and other household products
- Paints and coatings supplied in a container that has a capacity larger than 30 liters or kilograms
Now that you know what is accepted, take action!
Recycle your paint now!
If you have less than 10 containers of paint or 50 spray cans, find a drop off location.
Large volumes?
If you have more than 10 containers of paint or 50 spray cans, you might be eligible for our free pick-up service.
Get recycled paint for free!
You can get recycled paint for free through our PaintShare program. Learn more here, or find a location below.