Does Home Depot Take Old Paint For Recycling In 2024?

When that final stroke of paint goes onto the wall, there‘s often some leftover in the can. And most of us have more than one of those half-used cans accumulating. So what should you do when your basement starts resembling a mini-Sherwin-Williams? Can you take old paint to Home Depot for recycling?

The short answer is no: As of 2023, Home Depot does not accept old paints for recycling. However, below I‘ll go through your alternative disposal options, as there are several responsible ways to deal with leftover latex and oil-based paints.

The Paint Disposal Dilemma

First, how much leftover paint are we talking here? According to industry surveys among American households:

• 34% still have 1-5 cans of old paint stored away.
• 23% estimate they have more than 6 extra cans accumulating.

That‘s over 50 million households holding onto over 200 million gallons of leftover paint! And when we improperly dispose of it, harmful chemicals seep into landfills and ecosystem.

So doing our part to deal with unused paint responsibly can make a significant environmental impact. Keep reading to learn some practical disposal options.

Responsible Places You Can Take Old Paint

While Home Depot won‘t take your old paint, here are some alternative locations for safe recycling and disposal:

Local Hazardous Waste Collection Sites

Most municipalities have dedicated hazardous household waste sites for paints, stains, pesticides, automotive chemicals, and similar items. These facilities have the proper equipment to safely consolidate and dispose of the hazardous components.

To find yours, contact your city or county‘s waste management authority.Prepare the cans properly by:

• Leaving lids off so paint can dry out before transport. This helps prevent spills.
• Placing sealed cans upright in cardboard boxes during transport. Secure them with packing material to prevent tipping and leaks.
• Labeling cans clearly as "waste paint" or "poison" if they contain solvents or pesticides.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

If the leftover paint is still usable (good quality, no lumps, etc.), consider donating it unopened to a Habitat ReStore location. Requirements:

• Interior/exterior latex house paints only. They cannot accept oils, sprays, or industrial coatings.
• Original manufacturer‘s labels must be intact showing color name/code.
• Must still be in liquid state – no dried out or partial cans.

Call your local ReStore first to confirm if they can accept paints. If so, transport them sealed tightly and secured upright.

Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces

You can list leftover paint for sale or free on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Clearly advertise it‘s used and provide pictures. Require pickup only and deal with buyers at your discretion. An unopened gallon may fetch $10-20 depending on brand and color.

This allows paint to be reused instead of wasted. But vet buyers to confirm they‘ll use it as intended before handing over hazardous materials to a stranger.

Preparing Empty Paint Cans for Collection

While Home Depot doesn‘t take back empty steel paint cans either, preparing them properly can allow safe curbside pickup:

• Ensure cans are completely empty before discarding. Scrape the sides and allow to fully dry with the lid off for 24 hours.
• Replace lids before placing in the recycling bin to avoid spill hazards.
• If lids are unreplaceable, wrap a plastic bag over the top and tape it securely.

By following these simple steps for both liquid and dried paints, we can safely redirect over 200 million gallons out of the waste stream instead of into our landfills each year.

Though Home Depot doesn‘t directly help with paint recycling nationwide, they do advocate responsible disposal. We consumers must simply take it the last mile by using the above reader-friendly options convenient to each of our neighborhoods. This ensures we handle hazardous and reusable materials in ethical and eco-friendly ways.