Covers: Latex (water-based) paint, liquid
Usually not
Short answer: No, not as a liquid. Dry it out first, or recycle it at a PaintCare site if your state has one.
Dumpsters.com says full or partly full cans of wet paint can't go in a dumpster. Bagster lists paint as unacceptable. Pennsylvania DEP calls latex paint non-hazardous and says to dispose of it after it is completely dried.
Air-dry small amounts, or mix with cat litter or a paint hardener (see 'dried latex paint'). In PaintCare states (CA, CO, CT, DC, IL, ME, MD, MN, NY, OR, RI, VT, WA), drop it off free at a PaintCare site.
PaintCare operates in 12 states + DC; NERC 2020 counts 16 states with paint disposal bans (liquid paint).
| State | Detail |
|---|---|
| CA | — |
| CO | — |
| CT | — |
| DC | — |
| IL | — |
| ME | — |
| MD | — |
| MN | — |
| NY | — |
| OR | — |
| RI | — |
| VT | — |
| WA | — |
Checked October 2026. Rules change; your hauler's prohibited-items list is the final word.