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RECYCLE YOUR PAINT WITH HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION

Staff collecting paint at our household hazardous waste collection center

Paint Recycling: A Simple Way to Make a Difference This Fall

Orange County, CA (October 31, 2024) – This fall, Orange County residents are invited to recycle their leftover paint from November 1-27, 2024, at any of the four Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers (HHWCC).  The centers, located in Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and San Juan Capistrano, offer a convenient and easy way to drop off paint, primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings.

As the season changes, fall is the perfect time to declutter your storage spaces. Simply place your surplus paint in the truck of your car and drive to one of our HHWCC locations. Our staff will assist with the unloading process while you stay comfortably in your vehicle. This hassle-free service supports sustainability by ensuring that paint is recycled responsibly. Additionally, any paint dropped off in good condition and inspected by our team will be available to residents to pick up and reuse for free, through our Materials Exchange Program (MEP) at each location.

The paint available in our MEP has been used to support various community projects, including helping to reduce costs for students and parents who volunteer their time to build sets for plays and refurbish doghouses for beloved family pets. This underscores the importance of responsible paint recycling.

Tom Koutroulis, Director of OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) emphasizes, “Recycling unused paint is crucial for effective waste management and actively ensuring proper handling. Since paint cannot be disposed of in landfills, it must either be repurposed through our MEP or recycled via our Paint Care Program. Your actions contribute to our goal of a more sustainable community. These small acts of responsibility and mindfulness with your unused paint go beyond recycling; they also benefit our neighbors.”

PaintCare adds, “We are proud to partner with the County to provide residents a convenient and smart solution to recycle their leftover paint. Community participation provides a beneficial reuse, giving new life to unused paint.”  

Participating in this event helps reinforce OCWR’s dedication to environmental stewardship. Residents can also dispose of other household hazardous waste materials such as batteries, cleaning products, electronics, and more, at our HHW collection centers. For more information on accepted items and to find the nearest HHWCC, please visit OCLandfills.com/hazardous-waste. Let’s turn over a new leaf this fall by making a positive impact with your paint recycling!

Event Details:

  • Date: November 1 – November 27, 2024
  • Days: Tuesday through Saturday Only
  • Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Locations:
    • Anaheim Collection Center: 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, 92806
    • Huntington Beach Collection Center: 17121 Nichols Lane, 92647, Gate 6
    • Irvine Collection Center: 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618
    • San Juan Capistrano Collection Center: 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675

About PaintCare

PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households, businesses, and institutions to recycle postconsumer (leftover) paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. Nearly 35 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s California program since its launch in 2012. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram @WeRecyclePaint.

About OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) 

OCWR serves the County’s solid waste disposal needs through resource recovery, operating public landfills, protecting the local environment, investing in renewable energy enterprises and promoting recycling to ensure a safe and healthy community for current and future generations. The department manages one of the nation's premier solid waste disposal systems and three composting greeneries, all serving residents and businesses in the County’s 34 cities and its unincorporated areas. OCWR’s three active landfills reflect environmental engineering at its best. 

For more information on household hazardous waste disposal options and upcoming events, please visit our website at www.OCLandfill.com.

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