Safely Dispose of Paint
When you're finished with a household paint project, you might be left with a half-used can of paint to get rid of. Depending on what type of paint you have, you may be able to reuse or recycle it. If not, you'll likely need to take it to a hazardous waste. Read on to learn more about how to safely dispose of paint.
Contents
Steps
Disposing of Latex Paint
- Consider saving it for a later project. Latex paint can be stored, mixed and reused for a later project. It won't be the exact color you need, but it's useful to use as a base paint or to paint interior surfaces that won't be seen. This way, you can use up all the paint without needing to throw it away.
- Tightly seal the used paint can and store it upside-down in a cool, dry storage area.
- Make sure the stored paint is out of reach of children and pets.
- Look into community paint recycling programs. If you don't have use for your leftover paint, someone else might. Look up community paint recycling programs in your area.
- Waste haulers, schools, and municipalities often have programs to collect paint, mix it, and use it on community projects.
- Throw paint away if you can't recycle it. If you don't have use for the paint and can't find a paint recycling program, dispose of the paint by placing it in a plastic container filled with kitty litter or paper scraps, letting it dry, and throwing it away with the trash. Latex paint is not considered toxic waste, so it doesn't have to be taken to a toxic waste site.
- Never pour paint into a drain. It can damage your pipes and it isn't good for the water supply.
- Don't pour paint into the ground. This is hazardous to the soil.
- If you need to get rid of a lot of latex paint you may want to consider purchasing waste paint hardener. A cup or so of this powder mixed in with a gallon of paint will cause it to harden up within hours.
- Recycle empty paint cans. Let the empty paint cans dry completely, then recycle them with other metals.
- If you have an inch or more of dried paint left in the bottom of the can, you'll have to throw the whole can in the trash.
Disposing of Oil-Based Paint
- Check the label to see if any lead or hazardous materials are in it. Most old paints call for hazardous waste disposal.
- Remove the lid and let the paint air dry in the can. To speed up the process, stir in an absorbent material such as clay kitty litter, sawdust, or leftover concrete mix.
- Never pour oil paint into a drain or into the ground. It is considered hazardous waste, and disposing of it this way is illegal.
- Take the paint cans to a hazardous waste facility. You can visit search.earth911.com/?what=Paint and enter your zip code to find one close to you.
Tips
- Mix a quick-drying concrete product per the instructions. Add no more than two quarts of the leftover paint. Mix thoroughly and pour into forms to make pastel stepping stones.
- Many local "dumps" have an area to allow for paint disposal so call your local council (if in the UK) to check if this is available in your area
- Give the paint away as a means of reusing. If you don't have a friend who will be painting soon, consider donating to a local theatre group or school performing arts department. Your area may have religious groups or charities, like Habitat for Humanity, that can use leftover paint.
- Or use your mixture as a base coat. A shade of gray or brown may make a good base for further painting depending on the final coat you plan on using.
- Mix light colors with other light colors, or dark colors with other dark colors and use the combination to paint a room such as a garage or other area where decorating is not de rigueur.
- Call the manufacturer. Often these companies have recycling programs of their own. Rather than wasting the paint by drying it out, they can recycle or reuse it.
- Look into local paint recycling or exchange programs. Sometimes you can get free paint or stain to take home.
- It may be possible, after the paint has dried, to clean the container and recycle it.
Warnings
- It may be illegal, and some would say that it is immoral to sneak your paint out with the household trash or throw it in someone's dumpster. When you place your trash in someone else's dumpster, you are stealing trash removal services. This kind of behavior is often punishable by stiff fine. Improperly disposed paint poses an environmental hazard that could linger for eons.
- Paint thrown in regular trash can make a terrible mess when the garbage truck compacts the cans and the paint is released. This is one of the main reasons most municipalities require paints to be dried out or solidified before disposal.
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