Make sure you keep paint stored in an area where it won't freeze. Once paint freezes, it cannot be used again or recycled into new paint. Your county household hazardous waste program collects leftover paint for recycling and proper disposal. Contact you county solid waste office to find out where and hours of operation of your closest household hazardous waste facility. If you buy too much paint for a job, contact the store where you bought the paint to ask if they will take back the leftover amount.
Some retailers accept leftover paint from customers and then make it available on a discount shelf.
The more the customer asks the retailer and manufacturer to help find ways to recycle and reuse products, the more likely they are to provide these services. For more information about proper paint use, storage and disposal, check out the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's fact sheet Latex and Oil-Based Paint . Many Minnesotans are not sure about what can be safely and legally thrown away with their trash. In Minnesota, residents cannot throw away these items in the garbage. Contact the household hazardous waste program in your community to find out about local disposal options for these materials.