How to Dispose of Paint & Household Hazardous Waste in Orlando & Orange County, FL
✓ Last verified against official sources · see sources
Quick answer
- Never put wet paint or chemicals in your trash or recycling cart: by law, liquid paint (both oil-based and latex/water-based), stains, pesticides, pool chemicals, and automotive fluids are prohibited from curbside collection.
- 2 Free Resident Drop-Off Sites (Mon–Sat, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.): both City of Orlando and Orange County residents can drop off paint and HHW free of charge at the Orange County Landfill (
5901 Young Pine Rd) and Porter Transfer Station (1326 Good Homes Rd). - McLeod Road Transfer Station (
5000 L.B. McLeod Rd) does NOT accept paint or HHW. - 25-gallon limit per vehicle: you can bring up to 25 gallons of paint and household chemicals per trip (residential waste only; commercial waste is not accepted).
Free Paint & Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Locations (City & County Residents)
Both City of Orlando and Orange County residents use the same two permanent county Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities. Drop-off is 100% free for residents (attendants are on site to help unload your trunk or truck bed).
| Facility | Address | Hours | Paint / Chemical Limit | Propane Tank Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Side: Orange County Landfill HHW | 5901 Young Pine Rd, Orlando, FL 32829 | Mon–Sat, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | 25 gallons per vehicle | Up to 100 lbs |
| West Side: Porter Transfer Station HHW | 1326 Good Homes Rd, Orlando, FL 32818 | Mon–Sat, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | 25 gallons per vehicle | Up to 20 lbs (standard grill tank) |
| McLeod Road Transfer Station | 5000 L.B. McLeod Rd, Orlando, FL 32811 |
N/A | NOT ACCEPTED | NOT ACCEPTED |
- Closed: Sundays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
- Questions / Hotline: Call Orange County Solid Waste at 407-836-6601 (or City of Orlando Solid Waste at 407.246.2314).
- Periodic Saturday Community Collection Events: Orange County Utilities also hosts mobile Saturday drive-through HHW & e-waste collection events (8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) at rotating high schools and parks across the county (such as East River High School on Oct. 24, 2026). Check ocfl.net/HHW for the next scheduled neighborhood event.
What You Can Bring to the HHW Drop-Off
Per Orange County Utilities and the City of Orlando's Too Toxic to Trash program, accepted residential items include:
1. Paint, Stains & Finishes (Up to 25 Gallons per Vehicle)
- Wet latex (water-based) and oil-based house paint
- Spray paint / aerosols
- Wood stains, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, and sealers
- Paint thinners, turpentine, mineral spirits, and strippers
- Note on usable paint: Orange County recycles good-quality latex paint brought to HHW facilities into recycled-content exterior paint used on county community projects.
2. Lawn, Garden & Pool Chemicals
- Pesticides, insecticides, weed killers (herbicides), rat poison, and fungicides
- Fertilizers
- Pool chemicals (chlorine tablets/liquid, muriatic acid, shock, algaecides)
3. Garage, Automotive & Grill Items
- Used motor oil, oil filters, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and antifreeze
- Old gasoline, diesel, and kerosene
- Auto & marine lead-acid batteries
- Propane tanks: up to 20 lbs at Porter Transfer Station and community events; up to 100 lbs at the Orange County Landfill on Young Pine Road.
4. Household Cleaners, Bulbs, Batteries & Cooking Oil
- Drain openers, oven cleaners, ammonia, bleach, and spot removers
- Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), fluorescent tubes, and mercury-containing bulbs/thermostats
- Used cooking oil and kitchen grease
- Rechargeable batteries (lithium-ion, NiCad, NiMH) — tape the terminals of all lithium batteries and place them in a separate bag from alkaline batteries.
How to Pack Your Trunk Safely Before You Drive
Orange County HHW attendants ask residents to follow five safety rules when transporting chemicals:
- Keep products in their original containers whenever possible so attendants can read the label.
- Label anything unlabelled: if a jar or can has lost its label, write what you know is inside—or write
"UNKNOWN"on it. - Never mix leftover chemicals together in the same bucket or jug.
- Contain leaks: place any rusted or leaking paint cans or chemical jugs inside a sturdy plastic tub or larger container lined with kitty litter or another absorbent material.
- Load in your trunk or truck bed away from passengers and pets so attendants can lift boxes straight out.
What Is NOT Accepted at HHW Drop-Off Sites
Do not bring the following items to the HHW lane:
- Commercial or contractor waste (HHW facilities are strictly for Orange County / Orlando households).
- Prescription medications & sharps/needles (use DEA/pharmacy medication take-back kiosks instead).
- Explosives, ammunition, fireworks, and marine/road flares (contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office / Orlando Police Department non-emergency line for ordnance disposal).
- Pressurized gas cylinders other than propane (e.g., oxygen, helium, acetylene, or refrigerant cylinders).
- Radioactive or biologically active materials.
- Rear-projection televisions (not accepted for e-waste recycling; see our Orlando TV & Electronics guide).
- Tires and regular household garbage (these use the paid scale lane at the Landfill or Porter Transfer Station—see our Landfill & Transfer Stations guide).
What we couldn't verify
- Whether dried/solidified latex paint cans are permitted in curbside garbage carts: while some Florida municipalities allow small amounts of completely dried latex paint (hardened with cat litter or paint hardener, lid off) in regular trash, both Orange County's HHW page and the City of Orlando's Too Toxic to Trash page explicitly list "Paint (oil and latex)" under household hazardous waste to bring to the HHW facilities. To avoid cart rejection or spills, take both latex and oil paint to Porter Transfer Station or the Young Pine Rd Landfill.
Frequently asked questions
Can City of Orlando residents use the Orange County HHW drop-off facilities for free?
Yes. The City of Orlando's 'Too Toxic to Trash' page directs city residents to the exact same two Orange County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off facilities—5901 Young Pine Road (east side) and 1326 Good Homes Road (west side)—open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Does McLeod Road Transfer Station accept old paint cans or chemicals?
No. McLeod Road Transfer Station (5000 L.B. McLeod Rd) does not have a Household Hazardous Waste facility. Take paint and chemicals to Porter Transfer Station (1326 Good Homes Rd) or the Orange County Landfill (5901 Young Pine Rd).
How many paint cans can I bring at one time?
Orange County sets a limit of 25 gallons of paint and household chemicals per vehicle per visit. The program is strictly for residential household waste—painters, contractors, and businesses cannot use the resident HHW drop-off.
Where do I dispose of old propane tanks in Orlando?
Bring residential propane tanks to the HHW drop-off at Porter Transfer Station (accepts tanks up to 20 lbs—standard BBQ grill size) or the Orange County Landfill on Young Pine Road (accepts propane tanks up to 100 lbs). Other pressurized cylinders (such as oxygen or acetylene tanks) are not accepted.
Sources
- Orange County Utilities: Household Hazardous Waste & Electronic Waste (Free HHW drop-off locations, Mon–Sat 8–5 hours, 25-gallon paint/chemical limit, propane tank limits (20 lbs Porter / 100 lbs Landfill), accepted and prohibited items, preparation tips)
- City of Orlando: Too Toxic to Trash (Household Hazardous Waste) (City of Orlando direction to use Orange County'sYoung Pine Rd and Good Homes Rd HHW facilities, banned curbside items)
- Orange County Newsroom: HHW & Electronic Waste Community Collection Event (Oct 24, 2026) (Community collection event rules, 25-gallon limit, banned items (rx drugs, tires, rear-projection TVs, explosives))
- Orange County Utilities: Residential Curbside Collection Program (Green Clean) (Curbside prohibition on HHW and Solid Waste Hotline (407-836-6601))
All sources re-checked on Oct 24, 2026.