Disposing of paint (householders only)
You can get rid of unused household paint at any of our household waste recycling centres. Paint needs to be disposed of as a solid rather than a liquid.
Tins of paint shouldn't be put in your bin at home unless they are empty or contain very small amounts of solid dried-up paint residue. Never pour paint down your sinks and drains as it may cause a blockage or pollute water courses.
You might want to consider donating surplus paint to family, friends or a local charity. It may be possible for someone to reuse it for another painting project.
Hardening paint
Unfortunately paint can't be recycled so it goes to landfill and that means it has to be solidified first. There are a couple of ways to harden paint:
- leave the lid off the paint
- purchase a paint hardener (from a DIY store or similar shops) and follow the manufacturer's instructions
Where to go
Any form of surplus paint from your home can be taken to one of the local recycling centres.
Recycling centres for household waste are located in:
- Annan
- Beattock
- Castle Douglas
- Dalbeattie
- Lincluden (Dumfries)
- Lochar Moss (Dumfries)
- Lockerbie
- Newton Stewart
- Sanquhar
- Stranraer
- Thornhill
- Whithorn
Let a site attendant know when you arrive with paint and they'll be able to help you find the right place for your containers.
These centres don't accept waste paint generated as part of commercial operations.
