Got leftover paint? Drop it off at these Tri-Cities stores for free

More than 15,000 gallons of paint from Benton and Franklin counties found their way into a quietly growing recycling program last year.

According to PaintCare, a non-profit organization that manages leftover paint and varnishes, Benton and Franklin counties recycled 15,840 gallons of paint in 2025, up more than 3,000 more gallons from the year before.

Washington altogether recorded over one million gallons of paint, contributing to a state total of 4.7 million since the program started collecting in the Evergreen State in 2021. Last year marked a 6% increase from 2024 as word about the program continues to spread.

Lauren Scher, Washington’s program manager, said they strive to keep recyclable paint out of landfills.

“Even though latex paint is not harmful, it saves space,” Scher said.

PaintCare operates across 12 states: Washington, California, Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Illinois, Vermont and Maine as well as the District of Columbia.

Between these 13 regions, an estimated 91.4 million gallons of paint have been recycled over the last five years.

The program is funded through fees paid when customers purchase paint. This allows paint drop-off and pick-up to be completely free of charge.

Participants span all demographics, making the program a community-wide effort rather than one driven by a particular group, according to Scher.

For donors with over 100 gallons of paint, PaintCare offers a pick-up service. This often tailors to businesses and larger organizations.

PaintCare started after the state passed the paint stewardship law in 2019, which ensures that everyone who produces, sells and uses paint works together to manage its entire life cycle. It officially launched April 1, 2021.

Acceptable items

PaintCare will take house paint, primers, stains, sealers, shellac and varnish. They will not accept aerosol coatings, solvents and products made for industrial or non-architectural use.

Where the paint goes after it is dropped off depends on its condition.

“Paint in good condition will go to a reuse store where someone can use it as is,” Scher said.

Water-based paint that cannot be reused is repurposed into a new latex paint. In Washington, nearly 86% of the latex paint collected is recycled to make new paint. The rest is repurposed into other products such as concrete mixtures, landscaping materials and more.

Oil based products are mostly recycled for use as fuel.

Benton and Franklin County Drop-off sites

In the state of Washington, there are over 290 sites for residents to drop off their paint and hazardous wastes through PaintCare. In Benton and Franklin counties, there are nine different drop-off locations. The majority of these are Sherwin-Williams in Kennewick, Richland and Pasco. Drop-off hours vary based on the site.

Sherwin-Williams

2100 Keene Rd., Richland, WA 99352 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

1727 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99354 (Limit: 5 gallons per visit)

5109 Rd 68 Ste C, Pasco, WA 99301 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

3936 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

2518 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

Benton County MRW

1709 S. Ely St., Kennewick, WA 99337 (Limit: 15 gallons per visit)

Rodda Paint

501 N. Quay St., Kennewick, WA 99336 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

Miller Paint

8818 W. Victoria St., Kennewick, WA 99336 (Limit: 20 gallons per visit)

B J Paint & Carpet

1206 Stacy Ave., Prosser, WA 99350 (Limit: 15 gallons per visit)