Where can I drop off cans of spray paint?

Spray paint cans aren't really a construction topic, but happy to point you in the right direction! Aerosol cans (including spray paint) are considered household hazardous waste (HHW) and cannot go in your regular recycling or garbage.

The best place to drop them off is through Product Care's HHW program, which operates free drop-off depots across Metro Vancouver. You can find your nearest location at productcare.org or call 1-888-999-1865. Locations include spots in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, and other municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland.

Metro Vancouver also runs its own hazardous waste drop-off facilities — the main ones are in Burnaby (Central facility) and Surrey (South facility). Check metrovancouver.org/services/solid-waste for current hours and locations, as they do have seasonal schedule changes.

If you're in a specific municipality like Langley, Abbotsford, or Chilliwack, your local city hall or public works department can direct you to the nearest accepted drop-off point.

For future reference, if you're a contractor generating larger volumes of paint waste on a job site, that falls under WorkSafeBC hazardous materials handling requirements and needs to be managed through a licensed waste hauler — not a residential drop-off depot.

If you've got a renovation or construction question I can help with, feel free to ask — or browse licensed local contractors at the Vancouver Construction Network at vancouverconstructionnetwork.com.