Where do spray paint cans with product left go in Montgomery County?

Montgomery County oil-based How Do I and HHW How Do I: if aerosol / spray cans still contain product and are from your home, bring them to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station as household hazardous waste. Residents need proof of residency. No curbside pickup of HHW. Confirm the morning you go.

Where do empty spray paint / aerosol cans go?

Oil How Do I and HHW How Do I: if the cans are empty, put them into your regular trash. Discard empty spray / aerosol cans as regular trash — not as HHW.

Does PaintCare accept spray paint or aerosol coatings?

No. PaintCare products we accept: sites do not accept aerosol coatings. Use the PaintCare locator only for architectural coatings that carry the PaintCare fee — not for spray cans. Link only; this page does not scrape store lists.

Is there a gallon cap for spray cans at Shady Grove HHW?

A separate aerosol gallon or can-count cap is not stated on the oil How Do I or HHW How Do I aerosol lines. Wet paint drop-off at HHW is capped at five gallons of wet paint per calendar month on the oil and latex How Do I pages. Over 15 gallons of liquid or 75 pounds of solid HHW: call 311 (or 240-777-0311) to arrange a drop-off before you go.

Can I pour leftover spray paint down a drain or put liquid in the trash?

No. Do not pour liquid paint or remaining aerosol product down a drain, storm sewer, or into household trash as liquid. Empty cans → trash. Cans with product left → Shady Grove HHW.

Where do spray paint / aerosol cans go in Montgomery County? (unofficial)

Hours, fees, and gates change. Confirm on the official page the morning you go. This page is unofficial and not the county. Not a hauler. Not PaintCare. Holiday names and holiday clock hours: not stated. Separate HHW-compound clock beyond Transfer Station hours: not stated. Separate aerosol gallon / can-count cap: not stated. This is the spray / aerosol page — leftover-paint, latex-vs-oil, and paintcare-states are different lookups.

Empty — or product left?

Spray / aerosol can still has product left (from your home)?

HHW · Shady Grove

Oil How Do I: if they still contain product and are from your home, bring them to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station as household hazardous waste. HHW How Do I lists “spray paint cans with remaining paint” and “aerosol cans with remaining hazardous products” the same way. Residents, proof of residency. No curbside HHW pickup. Facility clock: Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m.–5 p.m. commercial entrance only.
Spray / aerosol can is empty?

Regular household trash

Oil How Do I: if the cans are empty, put them into your regular trash. HHW How Do I: discard empty cans as regular trash. Do not bring empty spray cans to HHW as “hazardous waste.”
Trying PaintCare for spray paint?

Not PaintCare · aerosols refused

PaintCare products we accept: sites do not accept aerosol coatings. PaintCare is for architectural coatings that carry the PaintCare fee (house paint, primer, stain, sealer, shellac, varnish). Use the PaintCare drop-off site locator only for those — this page does not list stores. Empty PaintCare cans are also refused at PaintCare sites.
Looks commercial, or a large HHW load?

ECOWISE / 311 · call ahead

Oil How Do I / HHW: attendants may refuse commercial-looking loads. Contractors (or people believed to be contractors) register for ECOWISE and pay for paint disposal Wednesday 1–5 p.m. (HHW / Paint Giveaway page). Over 15 gallons of liquid or 75 pounds of solid HHW: call 311 (or 240-777-0311) before you go (HHW How Do I).
Liquid leftover — pour it out?

No · do not pour

Do not pour remaining product down a drain, storm sewer, or into household trash as liquid. Empty → trash. Product left → HHW.

Related: leftover paint (MoCo geo) · latex vs oil · PaintCare states · HHW. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Where to go

Shady Grove HHW (spray / aerosol with product left)

Hours

HHW: open during Transfer Station hours of operation (How Do I / HHW page: open daily for home)

Facility: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon–Sat (both gates)

Facility: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday (Commercial and Truck entrance only)

HHW / How Do I directions still say enter from Route 355 / Frederick Rd and use the Recycling Area blue chain-link compound. Facility/hours pages: Sunday use Commercial and Truck entrance only (16055 Shady Grove Road). Unreconciled. This page does not pick a winner. Holiday names and holiday clock hours: not stated. Separate HHW-compound clock: not stated. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Call 240-777-0311 Map

or 311 · Sunday gate: 16055 Shady Grove Road (confirm the morning you go)

Shady Grove HHW for spray / aerosol cans with product left
Address	Hazardous Waste Compound, Recycling Area, Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. Enter from Route 355 / Frederick Rd; stay right for “Recycling”; blue chain-link compound with a large roof at the top of the hill. Residential entrance: 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, MD 20855. Sunday facility entrance: 16055 Shady Grove Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (unreconciled with Frederick Rd / Recycling Area signs). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Who	Montgomery County residents, home-generated. Proof of residency required. Attendants may refuse commercial-looking loads. Small businesses: ECOWISE schedule (not free resident path). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
What they take	Spray paint cans with remaining paint; aerosol cans with remaining hazardous products (HHW How Do I). Oil How Do I: aerosol cans that held oil-based products and still contain product, from your home → HHW. Empty spray / aerosol cans → regular trash (not HHW). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Fee	No extra HHW fee for residents stated on oil How Do I (“at no additional charge”). Transfer-station trash fees are separate if you self-haul trash. Payment methods for trash fees: not restated on this spray page. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Cap	Separate aerosol gallon or can-count cap: not stated on oil How Do I or HHW How Do I aerosol lines. Wet paint drop-off at HHW is capped at 5 gallons of wet paint per calendar month (oil / latex How Do I) — those pages do not restate that month cap on the aerosol-specific Q&A. Over 15 gallons liquid or 75 lb solid HHW: call 311 first (HHW How Do I). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Phone	311 or 240-777-0311. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Last-checked	10 Sep 2026
Source	oil How Do I HHW How Do I HHW drop-off facility residency Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Address: Hazardous Waste Compound, Recycling Area, Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. Enter from Route 355 / Frederick Rd; stay right for “Recycling”; blue chain-link compound with a large roof at the top of the hill. Residential entrance: 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, MD 20855. Sunday facility entrance: 16055 Shady Grove Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (unreconciled with Frederick Rd / Recycling Area signs). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Who: Montgomery County residents, home-generated. Proof of residency required. Attendants may refuse commercial-looking loads. Small businesses: ECOWISE schedule (not free resident path). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
What they take: Spray paint cans with remaining paint; aerosol cans with remaining hazardous products (HHW How Do I). Oil How Do I: aerosol cans that held oil-based products and still contain product, from your home → HHW. Empty spray / aerosol cans → regular trash (not HHW). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Fee: No extra HHW fee for residents stated on oil How Do I (“at no additional charge”). Transfer-station trash fees are separate if you self-haul trash. Payment methods for trash fees: not restated on this spray page. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Cap: Separate aerosol gallon or can-count cap: not stated on oil How Do I or HHW How Do I aerosol lines. Wet paint drop-off at HHW is capped at 5 gallons of wet paint per calendar month (oil / latex How Do I) — those pages do not restate that month cap on the aerosol-specific Q&A. Over 15 gallons liquid or 75 lb solid HHW: call 311 first (HHW How Do I). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Phone: 311 or 240-777-0311. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Last-checked: 10 Sep 2026
Source: oil How Do I HHW How Do I HHW drop-off facility residency Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

PaintCare (locator — aerosols refused)

Hours

Store / site hours — call ahead

Locator is not a scrape. This page does not list retail addresses. PaintCare does not accept aerosol coatings — use the locator only for architectural coatings. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Call 855-724-6809 Locator

products we accept · FAQs · PaintCare states

PaintCare — aerosols not accepted
Address	Use the PaintCare drop-off site locator. Do not clone their database. This page does not list store addresses. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Who	Households, businesses, government agencies, and others with leftover architectural paint in PaintCare states — not a path for spray / aerosol coatings. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
What they take	Architectural coatings that carry the PaintCare fee. Not accepted: aerosol coatings, solvents, leaking, unlabeled, or empty containers (products we accept / FAQs). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Fee	Free drop-off for accepted PaintCare products only. Aerosols are not in the program. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Cap	Not applicable for aerosols (refused). For architectural paint: all sites accept at least 5 gallons per visit; some take more — call ahead. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Phone	855-724-6809 (855-PAINT09). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Last-checked	10 Sep 2026
Source	products locator FAQs Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Address: Use the PaintCare drop-off site locator. Do not clone their database. This page does not list store addresses. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Who: Households, businesses, government agencies, and others with leftover architectural paint in PaintCare states — not a path for spray / aerosol coatings. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
What they take: Architectural coatings that carry the PaintCare fee. Not accepted: aerosol coatings, solvents, leaking, unlabeled, or empty containers (products we accept / FAQs). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Fee: Free drop-off for accepted PaintCare products only. Aerosols are not in the program. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Cap: Not applicable for aerosols (refused). For architectural paint: all sites accept at least 5 gallons per visit; some take more — call ahead. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Phone: 855-724-6809 (855-PAINT09). Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.
Last-checked: 10 Sep 2026
Source: products locator FAQs Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Unreconciled Sunday: HHW directions say Frederick Rd / Recycling Area; facility/hours pages say Sunday use the Commercial and Truck entrance only (16055 Shady Grove Road, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.). This page does not pick a winner. Confirm the morning you go. Last-checked 10 Sep 2026.

Bring this

Proof of residency for Shady Grove residential drop-off: Maryland license or photo ID with a Montgomery County address; a current utility bill with a physical MoCo address and your name; or a mortgage statement / lease in your name for a physical MoCo address. Out-of-county plates still need one of those. Proof of County Residency.
Cans with product left: keep upright / secured for transport; oil How Do I pattern for wet paint is sealed, leak-proof container or bag and a ventilated vehicle — apply common sense for pressurized cans; do not invent a depressurize-at-home recipe here.
If over 15 gallons liquid or 75 pounds solid HHW: call 311 (or 240-777-0311) before you leave home.
Empty cans only if truly empty — those go in regular trash, not HHW.

Not here

PaintCare drop-off for aerosol coatings (refused).
Empty spray / aerosol cans as “HHW” — How Do I: discard empty cans as regular trash.
Pouring remaining product down a drain, storm sewer, or into household trash as liquid.
A scraped list of PaintCare retail stores (use the locator for architectural paint only).
Invented aerosol gallon / can-count caps (separate aerosol cap: not stated).
Invented hours, fees, star ratings, or “we tested” claims.
Whole HHW handbook dump — see HHW for the broader accept/refuse list.
Meds / sharps pages (YMYL — not this site).

Official sources

How Do I — oil-based paint (aerosols empty → trash; product left from home → HHW; wet paint 5 gal/month; no extra resident charge)
How Do I — latex / water-based paint (wet paint 5 gal/month context; dry-out path for latex cans — not aerosol-specific)
How Do I — household hazardous waste (spray paint cans with remaining paint; aerosol cans with remaining hazardous products; empty → trash; 15 gal / 75 lb call-ahead)
Hazardous Waste Drop-Off / Paint Giveaway
Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station (hours, two entrances, Sunday rule)
PaintCare — products we accept (aerosol coatings not accepted)
PaintCare drop-off site locator (link only — no scrape)
PaintCare FAQs