Paint

Exciting News!


The Illinois PaintCare program will launch on December 1, 2025.

HCW programs are excellent partners (SWALCO) because we can now provide our residents the convenience of dropping off other products at the same time as post-consumer paint (latex and oil-based). Households are eligible to drop off any any type of paint through our existing Household Chemical Waste Collection events. This will eliminate latex paint from our Special Material Collection and the associated fees.

Additional details will be announced closer to the start date.

So what TYPE of Paint are you working with?


The first step when dealing with paint is separating the types of paint you have. This will help determine the toxicity of the paint and the associated steps necessary for proper and environmentally responsible disposal. Most households use latex paint, wood stains, deck sealants, oil-based paint (typically for metal applications and high traffic areas) and the "clean up chemicals".

How can you tell?

On the paint can label there are a few lines about “Clean-up”. If you can use soap and water to wash up spills or clean your brush: that’s a water-based paint (typically Latex or Acrylic). If you need any type of chemical to wash up spills or clean your brush: it falls on the side of oil-based paint.

We are happy to provide Lake County residents with options for the proper disposal of household chemical waste including wood stains, deck sealants, oil-based paints and the "clean up chemicals", and, beginning in December 2025, Latex Paint. Please check out the Latex Paint Disposal Page for optional disposal details.

When you can, try to avoid creating waste from the start. Purchase only what you need. One gallon of paint will cover between 250 and 350 square feet, depending on the porosity of the surface to be covered. You can find a variety of paint calculators online that will help you calculate just how much paint you will need for each room or project:

Other painting products including stains, polyurethanes, paint thinner...are accepted during our Household Chemical Waste Events. 

Please set up your appointment today.