So, you’re finally done with your big home project! Now you can finally put away all of your tools and excess materials and save them for another day.
But what should you do with leftover paint? Can you recycle it?
You can recycle leftover paint, but not at Home Depot anymore, as the retailer ended their paint recycling program several years ago.
Access to their paint recycling program depends on the location.
If you do not live by hardware stores that recycle paint, there are a few other options to consider.
You can store your paint for later or find a city or state-based recycling center that recycles paint.
Does Home Depot Recycle Paint?
Dealing with leftover paint can be a hassle. You can’t just throw it away.
You don’t want to leave it in your garage for months on end, taking up valuable space. Can you take it back to Home Depot and have them recycle it?
Unfortunately, Home Depot used to have a paint recycling program, but they ended it several years ago.
They will not take any paint for recycling, even if you purchased the paint from Home Depot.
The only time Home Depot will accept leftover paint is if a customer is trying to return paint for a refund or an exchange.
In order to qualify for Home Depot to take the paint back, the can has to be nearly full.
What about the paint can itself?
No, Home Depot will not take back paint cans.
Even if the can is completely empty, they will not wash it out and use it for fresh paint.
Does Any Other Hardware Store Recycle Paint?
Lowe’s
Just Like Home Depot, Lowe’s will not accept any leftover paint.
They do not have a paint recycling program at all.
They will not take back completely full open cans of paint for returns or exchanges.
Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is another hardware store and a direct competitor of both Lowe’s and Home Depot.
Unlike their competitors, Ace Hardware does has paint recycling!
You can take your paint to any Ace Hardware location, and they will happily recycle the leftover paint for you.
The paint does not have to be purchased from Ace Hardware. It will accept paint from Lowe’s, Home Depot, or other paint companies.
Sherman-Williams
Sherman-Williams is not a hardware store. It is a paint company that sells different paints.
Sherman-Williams will dispose of paint. The paint does not have to be from their company.
There are less than 100 Sherman-Williams paint stores in the US, so it will be hard to find one if you do not live in a big city.
How Else Can I Recycle Paint?
If you do not live by a Sherwin-Williams or an Ace Hardware store, there are still several ways to find paint recycling centers near you.
Unless you live in an extremely small town, there should be at least one paint recycling place within 20-30 miles of your location.
Several websites offer paint recycling finding services, like paintcare.org and recyclingcenternearme.com
If that doesn’t work, head over to Craigslist and put up an ad labeled free paint in the Craigslist sales free section.
Why Does Leftover Paint Get Recycled?
It is not a good idea to throw away leftover paint. Paint is classified as a toxic chemical, so it should not just be thrown away in your trashcan.
Recycling old leftover paint is the right way to dispose of paint. If paint was thrown away, it would cause a lot of pollution.
Adding to the pollution issues can make life harder for humans living in large towns and cities. Paint fumes can make the air around the city dump toxic.
These toxic fumes can be a danger to city dump workers.
According to the Earth’s 911.com, recycling paint prevents 115 lb. of carbon dioxide from sneaking into the air and furthering the poisoning of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Not only does recycling paint prevent toxic chemicals from building up inside our city dumps, but it also saves precious energy and resources.
Old paint is recycled through two methods. The first is by reblending, which is simply mixing several paints together to create a new color.
The second way is reprocessing. Reprocessing paint removes any contaminants and solid paint chips from the paint, mixing it with other types of paint, and then adding dyes to create a new color.
What Else Can I Do With Leftover Paint?
So, you tried everything and no one has taken your leftover paint. Does that mean you could finally throw it away?
No! And do not throw away your leftover paint. It will cause far too much pollution.
Please consider storing leftover paint away until you can find a recycling center, or until somebody finally needs it.
Storing leftover paint is quite easy.
To store leftover paint, store it in its original can if there’s a lot left over. If there is only a small amount, transfer it to a smaller paint can.
Then, put a small dab of paint on the paint can lid so you know what the color looks like after a few months go by.
Summing Up If Home Depot Recycles Paint
While Home Depot might not recycle paint, that doesn’t mean you should just throw it away. Ace Hardware and Sherwin-Williams are some stores that will recycle paint for you, and then there should be recycling centers near you that will also do the job.
Make sure you don’t just throw it out and cause pollution – look for another solution first!
