Recycle Paint

Every house painting project should have some left over paint or stain. It is a good idea to have one or two gallons of touch up paints available in case the substrates are damaged or high traffic need "freshening" before the next major paint job. However larger quantities should be re-used on other projects, donated to charity, or recycled. Facts about the amount of left over paint in the US: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculates that annually nearly 70 million gallons of paint are left over in the United States. Imagine 27.6 billion square feet each and every year ( 303 square miles). Resources are available on the internet about recycle paint methods and information. Check the label. Paint manufactured before 1978 could contain lead, many paints made before 1991 could contain mercury. Both materials should be listed on the paint label. Paints containing lead or mercury should be taken to a household-hazardous-waste collection facility. Recycle it. Some city/municipalities offer recycling programs for old paint and empty paint cans. Water-based, or latex, paint can be recycled into new paint or it can even be used to create nonpaint products such as cement. Oil-based, or alkyd, paint is usually used for fuel blending-meaning it's burned to create energy at a power plant. To find out whether paint recycling is an option in your area, contact your municipal recycling or household-hazardous-waste center. Dispose of Latex Paint once latex paint is dried it can be safely disposed of in the garbage, or local a waste facility. Paint cans can also be dried out and disposed. Water-based paint is treated as hazardous in only a few states-including California, Washington and Minnesota-and is still generally accepted at hazardous-waste facilities Oil-based paint is always considered hazardous and should be disposed of at a household-hazardous-waste collection facility. Watch the video how to recycle paint.

Do It Yourself Instructions for Recycling Paint:

1. Lay out plastic film in a well ventilated area. We suggest 4 mil polyfilm spread out in A CONTAINMENT enclosure; such as bracked 4 x 4 posts nailed together. This is the same system we use in our video.

2. Pour out left over paint over the plastic. Take care to keep the no thicker than 1/8 of an inch. Spread out the paint with a stir stick or make shift spreader made of cardboard.

3. Allow paint to dry; this should be 12-48 hours depending on temperature and humidity.

4. Thoroughly dried out latex paint and be disposed of with normal garbage.

Every year, up to 69 million gallons of paint don't leave the can. Simply tossing the excess may be tempting, but there are several reasons to dispose of paint carefully. Putting it in the trash as is, or pouring it down a drain, can both harm the environment and force your municipality to pay for cleanup down the line. In addition, such unconsidered dumping may be against the law in your city. Fortunately, abiding by legal standards, and those of common decency, isn't very difficult, and the reward is a clear conscience and a tidier community.

Before you begin the disposal process, decide whether you might find a use for the leftover paint after all. Small projects like doghouses can often be completed using whatever old paint is kicking around your garage. If you do store paint for later use, make sure each can lid is secure, and keep cans upside down to create as airtight a closure as possible.

If you really aren't going to put your extra paint to good use, figure out whether it's likely to contain lead (paint produced before 1978 often does) or mercury (most likely if it was made prior to 1991). Provided your paint includes neither element, try stirring it until it's smooth. If that works, and the can is labeled and in one piece, you can probably donate it to a charity organization - Habitat for Humanity or Keep America Beautiful are two good ones - or the drama department of the nearest high school. Alternatively, your local church, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship may be able to use extra paint.

As a general rule, paint is recyclable. New paint can be made from old water-based paint, but so can cement or concrete. On the other hand, oil-based paint is good for burning at a power plant.

Empty paint cans can usually be recycled or given to companies that collect scrap metal. No more than a quarter-inch of paint may remain in a can if it's headed for either fate. Furthermore, neither a brush nor the act of turning the can upside down can remove any paint if the can is to be repurposed. If that's not an option, place empty cans in the trash, with their lids off, once the paint residue has dried out.

How do you dry that residue? It only dries in the can itself if there's at most an inch left, and it helps to have warm weather. If you have more than an inch, or the weather isn't remotely warm, mix paint and clay-based cat litter in a 1-to-1 ratio. After you've stirred the substances together, give them about 10 minutes to set. If the mixture remains fluid, use additional litter until it's very, very thick. For those who don't have cat litter around, sawdust, dirt, or shredded paper make fine substitutes. You could also simply invest in commercial paint hardener, which turns paint into highly viscous, oatmeal-like stuff.

Recycled paint comes in two primary types. Reprocessed paint combines old paint and new components; reblended paint is merely remixed, without the addition of "virgin" materials. As you might expect, the latter isn't as high in quality as the former, and it typically comes in neutral colors only.

Still, reblended paint has its uses. House painting often calls for neutrals, and programs that cover up graffiti in urban neighborhoods depend on them. Reprocessed paint is far more versatile. It's re-pigmented in the production process, which means it can be any color in existence. Morever, its pH level and viscosity can be adjusted per the needs of suppliers and customers. Local Color, Eco-Peinture, The Paint Recycling Company, and Dunn-Edwards are a few prominent manufacturers of reprocessed paint.

Another important tip for would-be paint recyclers: Don't combine water- and oil-based paints. Also, it's more convenient for both the donor and the receivers of old paint if partial cans have been consolidated. To make sure there isn't liquid beneath a seemingly solid crust of residue, poke a screwdriver's business end down into the bottom of a near-empty can. Any cans that leak must be packed in newspaper.

Guidelines for disposing of paint vary from state to state. Nevertheless, a few rules apply pretty much everywhere. Household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities are the place to bring leftover oil-based paint. Not many states view water-based paint as a hazard, but you can drop it at most HHW sites anyway. (The HHW in King County, Washington, happens not to accept water-based paint, since it can go in the regular trash if it's dry.) Clean, labeled cans that are half full or more are generally returned to the public in some fashion rather than recycled.

The fact that water-based paint is much less dangerous than its oil-based counterpart doesn't mean it can be dumped just anywhere. Indiscriminate disposal may result in overloaded sewage treatment plants, clogged septic fields, and tainted drinking or ocean water, among other ecological problems. You can pour water-based paint down the sink in your kitchen or bathroom, but you aren't allowed to pour it in the drain at the edge of your street, since that drain carries things straight to the waterways. If you have brushes covered in oil-based paint, rinse them with a solvent and bring the residue to a hazardous waste facility, as you'd normally do with oil paint.

A close look at a paint can gives you clues about whether the contents are made with water or oil. "Latex," "acrylic," and "cleans with water" are all dead giveaways: Your paint is water based. If it's in a plastic container, and the print on that container says it dries in an hour, then it's definitely not oil based. "Alkyd" is another name for oil-based paint, which can only be cleaned using solvent. The can, which will not be plastic, should say "flammable" or "combustible," or possibly both. Oil paint dries overnight.

Environmental awareness is a noble cause, but getting rid of paint in a responsible, eco-friendly way isn't about reversing global warming. It's a simple courtesy to your neighbors, and it's a way to do your part, be it ever so modest, to keep your family and others safe. Need more information about paint recycling? Call the nonprofit group Earth 911 at 800-253-2687.

Before you dispose of paint, there may be other alternatives.

Keep leftover paint for touch ups.

Apply a second coat

Use the paint to brighten a closet, basement or garage.

Give the paint to friend, church, school, community theatre group, low-income housing programs or housing rehabilitation organizations.

As a last resort, paint in cans can be dried out and disposed of with your other trash. If you have a very small amount, brush the paint on some cardboard or newspaper, leave in a well ventilated area and throw the painted cardboard or paper in your trash. You can recycle paint cans if completely clean and dry.

For larger amounts of paint left in the can, follow the instructions below:

Remove the paint can lid;
Stir in sawdust, cat litter or some other drying agent. Several retail stores sell a product made specifically for hardening waste paint;
Place the can in a well ventilated, dry area away from children or pets until completely dry and hard;
Place the dried, hard paint can with the lid off in with your other trash.
If you have over one half of a can of paint left, you can speed up the drying time by pouring out some of the paint into a plastic lined cardboard box(es) and follow the process above in both the can and the box(es).

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Benjamin Moore