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Tulsa, Oklahoma

Paint disposal in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa's pages do not publish one rule for paint. The latex-paint page says latex paint, once solidified, is non-hazardous and can go in the normal trash receptacle, not the recycle bin, and that latex paint can also be dropped at the Household Pollutant Collection Facility. The city's refuse and recycling booklet says not to put paints in the gray or blue carts. Bulky waste collection lists latex paint, up to 10 gallons, as a scheduled curbside item. Oil-based paint and paint thinner are on the facility's accepted list. The bulky page does not name them, and that page says the pickup does not accept liquids or poisonous or hazardous materials.

Rules

Curbside allowed
Yes
Appointment required
Yes
Limits
The bulky waste page lists latex paint up to 10 gallons as accepted and says the pickup must be scheduled at least three days before the pickup day, which is the same day as regular refuse, recycling, and yard waste. That page does not list oil-based paint. It lists liquids and poisonous or hazardous materials under items it does not accept. It also says an item small enough for one person and 40 pounds or less should go out for regular refuse in a plastic bag with an orange or purple refuse sticker, and it does not say whether that sticker rule applies to latex paint. The latex-paint page does not publish a gallon limit or an appointment for solidified latex in the normal trash. The refuse booklet's bulky section does not name paint and does not publish a gallon limit; it says bulky waste is collected only when the utilities are in the resident's name and that person lives full time at the address, and that a house owned by a corporation or LLC will not be serviced by the bulky waste group if those conditions are not met. The current bulky waste page does not repeat those residency conditions. The facility page does not publish a pound limit for Tulsa residents. For the communities it names outside Tulsa, it publishes a 45-pound voucher amount.

Preparation

  • Latex-paint page: read the label. Keywords it gives for latex paint are latex, soap and water cleanup, acrylic, non-flammable, and water listed as the first ingredient. Words it gives for oil-based paint are oil-based, mineral spirits cleanup, alkyd, flammable or combustible, and petroleum distillates. The page says the at-home method is for latex paint only.
  • Latex-paint page: to dispose of latex paint at home, remove the lid in a well-ventilated area and let the paint solidify. The page says this may take several days to weeks. Once the paint is solidified and there is no liquid left in the container, it can go in the normal trash, not the recycle bin.
  • Household pollutants page: liquid paint should not be poured down the drain, dumped on the ground, or thrown in the trash while it is still liquid. That page says latex and oil-based paint can both be dropped off at the Household Pollutant Collection Facility.
  • Refuse and recycling booklet: do not dispose of hazardous chemicals, batteries, paints, medical wastes, oil, liquids, radioactive materials, or construction debris in either the gray or blue cart. The same booklet says to substantially bag trash before it goes in the gray cart, to close the lid with the opening facing the street, to set the cart out on the primary collection day, and to remove it within 12 hours after collection.
  • Oklahoma DEQ household hazardous waste sheet: paints are among products it calls household hazardous waste, and it says they may contaminate the environment or threaten human health if thrown in the trash. The sheet says to keep items in their original containers and not to mix them, and that even empty containers can pose hazards because of residual chemicals.
  • Household pollutants page, for a trip to a collection facility: wear gloves and use caution, place pollutants in the trunk or as far from passengers as possible, do not smoke while handling or transporting chemicals, and do not remove the materials from the car. A worker will remove them.
  • Bulky waste page, for a scheduled pickup: have the waste at the curb by 5 a.m. Do not place items under power lines or trees, where vehicles block them, over water, gas, telephone, or cable boxes, or within three feet of a fence or the trash and recycling carts.

How to schedule

  1. Read the paint label using the latex-paint page's word lists. That page says its at-home solidify method is for latex paint only.
  2. For the latex-paint page's home method, remove the lid in a well-ventilated area, let the paint solidify until no liquid is left, and then use the normal trash, not the recycle bin. The household pollutants page says liquid paint should not be thrown in the trash. The refuse booklet says paints should not go in the gray or blue carts.
  3. Or take latex paint, oil-based paint, and paint thinner to the Household Pollutant Collection Facility, 4502 S. Galveston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74107. The facility page says it is open Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and noon to 4:30 p.m., and to call (918) 591-4325. Tulsa residents drop off for free by showing a drivers license or a City of Tulsa utility bill. Leave the materials in the car for a worker to remove.
  4. The additional-services page says staff arrange appointments to accept unused household pollutants. The facility page does not say a drop-off appointment is required. The Oklahoma DEQ sheet says the facilities it lists, including Tulsa, may require an appointment.
  5. Or schedule bulky collection for latex paint, which that page accepts up to 10 gallons. Schedule at least three days ahead, online, by the 311 phone system during regular business hours, or by email to Tulsa311@cityoftulsa.org. The page says online scheduling needs the City utility Customer ID and account number. Opening the page's online scheduling link on 2026-10-22 led to a City of Tulsa utility login that asks for account number, customer ID, and the last four of the SSN. Put the items at the curb by 5 a.m. on the regular collection day. Cancel by calling before noon the day before, or the page says the account is charged.

Phone, app, or portal

Fees

Curbside
The bulky waste page prints two fee statements. The first says there is a fee of $20 (beginning Oct. 1, 2026) per 8 cubic yards, and that each additional 8 cubic yards will be $20 (starting Oct. 1, 2026). Later on the same page it says there is a fee of $10 ($20 beginning Oct. 1, 2026) per 8 cubic yards picked up. It also says a pickup that is not compliant with accepted items is not collected, and the customer is still charged the $10 ($20 beginning Oct. 1, 2026) scheduling fee. The refuse booklet says there is a bulky waste collection fee per 8 cubic yards and does not print a dollar amount. The latex-paint page does not print a dollar fee for putting solidified latex in the normal trash.
Notes
The facility page says Tulsa residents can drop off for free by showing a drivers license or a City of Tulsa utility bill. Residents of Bixby, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Glenpool, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, and unincorporated Tulsa County can get a voucher from the Metropolitan Environmental Trust at (918) 584-0584 for the first 45 pounds free; over 45 pounds, the page lists $1.37 per pound, payable by Mastercard or Visa. Those residents must have a voucher number before dropping off. Sapulpa residents can call the City of Sapulpa utility offices at (918) 224-6220 for free vouchers; the page says a Sapulpa voucher covers 45 pounds and weight after that is $1.37 per pound. The same page says that beginning August 1 the facility will no longer issue vouchers on Saturdays, that M.e.t. communities may still visit on Saturday with a voucher they already have, and that disposal without a voucher is charged $1.37 per pound. Vouchers are obtained by contacting the Met Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The refuse booklet says disposal is free for Tulsa residents and tells non-Tulsa residents to contact the M.e.t. at (918) 584-0584; it does not print the $1.37 rate. The Oklahoma DEQ sheet says the facilities it lists are free with proof of residency and accept items from surrounding communities for a small fee, and it gives a water bill as an example of proof of residency.

Drop-off locations

The Household Pollutant Collection Facility page gives the address, phone, and hours below and lists both latex paint and oil-based paints and paint thinner as accepted. The additional-services page says staff arrange appointments; the facility page does not say an appointment is required to drop off. The Oklahoma DEQ sheet and the refuse booklet both point readers to cityoftulsa.org/resourcerecovery. Opening https://www.cityoftulsa.org/resourcerecovery on 2026-10-22 showed the city's message that the page does not exist or has moved. The facility URL on this record is the page that loaded. The DEQ sheet does not print the street address or the hours.

Household Pollutant Collection Facility

Address: 4502 S. Galveston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74107

Hours: Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.; noon - 4:30 p.m. The same page also says the facility is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. - 11:30, noon - 4:30 p.m. The refuse booklet does not print the hours and says to call 918-591-4325 for hours of operation.

Phone: (918) 591-4325

Accepts

  • Accepted items on the facility page include oil-based paints and paint thinner, and latex paint. The refuse booklet lists oil-based paints, latex paints, and paint thinner together as accepted.
  • The facility page says all wastes are subject to inspection and possible rejection. If a waste is not accepted, the customer is responsible for disposing of it within federal, state, and local laws.
  • Tulsa residents can drop off for free by showing a drivers license or a City of Tulsa utility bill. The page says the facility is year-round and open to residential customers.
  • The refuse booklet says the facility only accepts household pollutants generated by household users and is not available for commercial companies or businesses.
  • Named communities outside Tulsa need a voucher. The first 45 pounds are free with that voucher. Weight over 45 pounds is $1.37 per pound. Beginning August 1, the page says the facility will no longer issue vouchers on Saturdays.
  • The additional-services page says staff arrange appointments to accept unused household pollutants. The facility page does not say a drop-off appointment is required. The Oklahoma DEQ sheet says facilities may require an appointment.

Official page

What's not accepted

  • The latex-paint page says the recycle bin is not the place for latex paint.
  • The household pollutants page says liquid paint should not be poured down the drain, dumped on the ground, or thrown in the trash while it is still liquid.
  • The refuse booklet says not to put paints, hazardous chemicals, oil, or liquids in the gray trash cart or the blue recycling cart.
  • The bulky waste page does not list oil-based paint as accepted. It says it does not accept liquids or poisonous or hazardous materials.
  • The bulky waste page says items that are not compliant with its accepted list will not be collected.
  • The facility page says all wastes are subject to inspection and possible rejection. Its non-accepted list includes industrial or commercially generated waste, including NHIW waste, and unknown materials or substances. Paint is on the accepted list, not that non-accepted list.
  • The refuse booklet says the facility accepts household pollutants generated by household users and is not available for commercial companies or businesses.
  • The refuse booklet says a residential house owned by a corporation or an LLC will not be serviced by the bulky waste group unless the utilities are in the resident's name and that person lives full time at the address. The current bulky waste page does not state that rule.

Other free options

Use the paint or give it away

The household pollutants page says the best way to dispose of paint is to use it up. If you cannot find a use for it, give it to someone who can, such as friends, neighbors, schools, and community service organizations. The page does not name a program or a fee for that.

Swap Shop at the Household Pollutant Collection Facility

The Swap Shop page says customers can shop free of charge from new or lightly used products collected at the facility. It says items frequently collected include household cleaners, fertilizers, motor oil, pesticides, spray paint, and windshield washer fluid, and that up to five items can be taken free of charge with a signed customer agreement. The refuse booklet says no drop-off is required, that customers sign a waiver, and that citizens can take an additional two items by using a reusable bag given at the facility. The Swap Shop page gives the same address and says the facility is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. - 11:30, noon - 4:30 p.m.

Sources

Last verified: 2026-10-22

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