Keywords: old paint, paint disposal, paint recycling
At the conclusion of almost every painting project there will be a can or cans of leftover paint. The homeowner will want to store that paint in a closet or garage in the event touch ups become necessary at some future date. Years go by. The cans of paint multiply. It’s time to sort through them and throw the old stuff out.
But wait . . . you can’t throw paint into your regular household garbage. Paint is classified as hazardous waste. There are rules and regulations that you must follow to dispose of paint properly. Improper paint disposal can harm the environment. Nobody likes the idea of sending items to a landfill that may still have value. However, sometimes there is just no good option to reuse or recycle. In the case of old house paint, you can try to find a recipient you could donate it to. But when that fails, what do you do with it? How do you get rid of unwanted paint?
How You Can Dispose of Water-Based Paints
Most paints used by homeowners and by commercial painting companies these days are latex/acrylic paints. In order to throw them away with your household trash, you simply need to dry them out first. Once the paint becomes a solid mass, you can throw it in the garbage. It has become harmless. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Take off the lid and wait for the paint to fully harden. With a small amount of paint, this won’t take long. However, if the can is more than a quarter full, you probably want a faster method.
- Pour the paint onto large sheets of cardboard so that it can dry. Don’t do too much at once, or it will run off the edges.
- Add a drying agent to the paint in the can. You could stir in a paint hardener powder, which is available online, or get some kitty litter and pour that in.
Remember, do not toss liquid paint into the residential trash bins. If you do, the big city garbage truck will arrive on pickup day. Its arm will lift your bin overhead and dump the contents into the truck. The truck’s huge compactor will squeeze your trash. It is at this point that your paint can will burst open, and all that liquid paint will flow to the bottom of the truck. Hopefully, the paint won’t drip onto the street. That reminds me of a funny story. A handyman company had finished a home in the Biltmore Estates. They didn’t realize that a five-gallon pail of white paint had tipped in the bed of their truck. As they drove through the neighborhood towards the exit, they were creating a new white line on the black asphalt roadway. Important people were unhappy about that.
How You Can Dispose of Oil-Based Paints?
Unfortunately, there is not an easy answer for what the do-it-yourselfer can do with old oil-based paints and stains. These are considered toxic waste, and thus there are more regulations for how to dispose of it. Oil based paint is not accepted in the trash bin and must be taken to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection facility. Following is a list of website links for Phoenix area household hazard waste facilities. These facilities will take any kind of paint: water-based, oil-based, spray cans, etc.
Chandler – Paint Disposal – Household Hazardous Waste Disposal | City of Chandler (chandleraz.gov)
Fountain Hills – Paint Disposal – Household Hazardous Waste | Fountain Hills, AZ – Official Website (fountainhillsaz.gov)
Gilbert – Paint Disposal – Household Hazardous Waste Facility | Gilbert, Arizona (gilbertaz.gov)
Mesa – Paint Disposal –Household Hazardous Materials Program | City of Mesa (mesaaz.gov)
Phoenix – Paint Disposal – Public Works Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics (phoenix.gov)
Queen Creek – Paint Disposal – Household Hazardous Waste | Queen Creek, AZ (queencreekaz.gov)
Scottsdale – Paint Disposal – City of Scottsdale – Household Hazardous Waste (scottsdaleaz.gov)
Tempe – Paint Disposal – Household Products Collection Center | City of Tempe, AZ
Every Valley city has a Household Hazardous Materials Program. Check with your city’s website to find hours of operation and their rules for proper paint disposal. All cities will require you to show a picture I.D. and a city utility bill to prove that you are a resident before they accept your old paint.
Cities will attempt to recycle as much of the paint as possible. The City of Tempe for instance, mixes usable paint into a color they call Tempe Town Brown. They use this paint to cover over graffiti. They also donate paint to non-profit organizations to help them with the cost of repainting their buildings.
Here at MTS Painting, we work with a company that picks up all of our leftover paint. They mix the paint into off-white, sand, gray, brown and black tints. Then they take the paint south to Nogales, Mexico where they sell it at discount. Everybody wins!
So, if you’re looking to free up some storage space, go through your old paint cans to see what you can get rid of. It will be a trip down memory lane.
Let MTS help with any present or future painting projects. Call us or request a free estimate.
