Cincinnati, Ohio › Paint (latex & oil-based)
How to get rid of old paint in Cincinnati, OH (latex & oil-based)
Last checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z. Every fact below links to its source.
Short answer: Latex (water-based) paint is not hazardous waste in Hamilton County. Dry it out completely, then put the can in your City of Cincinnati garbage cart with the lid off. Usable latex paint can be donated to Matthew 25 Ministries. Oil-based paint is hazardous: take it to the county's yearly collection event or pay to drop it at Environmental Enterprises.
First: is it latex or oil-based?
Check the label. “Latex,” “acrylic,” or “clean up with soap and water” means latex. “Alkyd,” “oil-based,” or “clean up with mineral spirits” means oil-based.
Latex paint: dry it, then trash it
According to Hamilton County ReSource, latex paint can go in regular trash once it is solid, because garbage collectors can’t pick up liquids:
- Take the lid off and stir in sand, sawdust or kitty litter to speed up drying.
- When it’s solid, put the open can inside your garbage cart with the lid off (City of Cincinnati uses carts) so the collector can see it’s dry.
Never pour paint down a storm drain or on the ground.
Latex paint still good? Donate it
Matthew 25 Ministries reblends usable latex paint for nonprofits, schools and other countries. Per Hamilton County ReSource, cans must be in the original labeled container, at least ⅓ full and never frozen. No oil-based paint, deck stain, dried or nearly empty cans. Call 513-793-6256 first. The ReUse Center also takes latex paint for $2 per gallon. Its address and hours were not listed on the county page, so they’re marked unknown below.
Oil-based paint: hazardous waste
Oil-based paint, lead paint and oil-based stains are accepted at Hamilton County ReSource’s Household Hazardous Products collection event. It’s free for Hamilton County residents but you have to register. The 2026 event was October 2, 2026 (already over), and the county says it holds only one per year. The 2027 date is unknown. The county’s office does not accept drop-offs.
The year-round option is Environmental Enterprises, Inc. (4650 Spring Grove Ave.). Adams-Clermont SWD says EEI takes paint for a fee on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 to 11 a.m. The current price is unknown, so call 513-541-1823 to confirm.
PaintCare in Ohio?
No. PaintCare says Ohio has not passed a paint stewardship law, so there are no PaintCare drop-off sites in the state.
Unknowns
- 2027 Hamilton County collection event date: unknown.
- EEI’s current residential fee: unknown (call).
- ReUse Center address and hours: unknown.
- Whether the city limits the number of dried cans per pickup: unknown. (Butler County allows four, but that rule may not apply to Cincinnati.)
Places & options
Curbside trash (dried latex only)
- Fee
- Free (part of regular trash service)
- Who can use it
- Households with City of Cincinnati cart service
- Hours
- Your regular trash day
- Where
- Your City of Cincinnati garbage cart
- Phone
- unknown
- Accepts
- Latex paint that is completely solid; can placed in the cart with the lid off
- Notes
- Liquid paint is not collected. Dry it with sand, sawdust or kitty litter first.
- Source
- www.hamiltoncountyresource.org
- Last checked
- 2026-10-21
Matthew 25 Ministries (donation)
- Fee
- Free (per Adams-Clermont SWD); Hamilton County page does not state a fee
- Who can use it
- Anyone with usable latex paint meeting the guidelines
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (per Butler County 2026 flyer; call to confirm)
- Where
- 11060 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45241
- Phone
- 513-793-6256
- Accepts
- Usable liquid latex paint, original labeled can, at least 1/3 full, never frozen
- Notes
- No oil-based paint, deck stain, dried, empty or unlabeled cans. Call first.
- Source
- www.hamiltoncountyresource.org
- Last checked
- 2026-10-21
ReUse Center
- Fee
- $2 per gallon
- Who can use it
- unknown
- Hours
- unknown
- Where
- unknown
- Phone
- unknown
- Accepts
- Latex paint (reblended and resold at a discount)
- Notes
- Address and hours not listed on the Hamilton County page.
- Source
- www.hamiltoncountyresource.org
- Last checked
- 2026-10-21
Environmental Enterprises, Inc. (EEI)
- Fee
- Fee charged; amount unknown — call to confirm (an older Forest Park listing says $40 per 100 lbs, unverified)
- Who can use it
- unknown — call to confirm residential drop-off
- Hours
- Tue & Wed 7–11 a.m. (per Adams-Clermont SWD; call to confirm)
- Where
- 4650 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH
- Phone
- 513-541-1823
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint and other household hazardous waste
- Notes
- Accepts paint for a fee. Confirm pricing and availability by phone before going.
- Source
- acswd.org
- Last checked
- 2026-10-21
Sources
- Hamilton County ReSource — Latex Paint — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Hamilton County ReSource — Household Hazardous Products — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Hamilton County ReSource — Contact Us — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- PaintCare — Recycle Paint Ohio — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District — Household Hazardous Waste Disposal — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Butler County (OH) 2026 HHW & Paint flyer (Matthew 25 hours) — checked 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
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