By learning how do you discard paint correctly, you can contribute your part in making a cleaner, chemical-free environment. Sincere disposal of old or fresh unused paints is extremely necessary to keep your environment safe. House paints are basically chemicals extremely hazardous to the environment. These chemicals are extremely toxic to the soil, air and water. Thus, dumping those unused paint down the drain or throwing paint cans in trash bins can increase the chances of toxic pollution from landfills. So, no sincere citizen should thoughtlessly dispose of them and harm Mother Nature.
How to Discard Old Paint?
It is easier to understand how do you discard paint if it gets hardened in the course of time. The local disposal council of the UK accepts old and hard paints to be disposed of in landfills. So, check if your year-old paint gets hard or not. If yes, then through it in the regular trash bins. But if not then you can either repurpose it, if its condition is still good, or help it to get dry before disposal. To speed up the drying or hardening process you can;
- Add some soil, sand or sawdust to the old paint
- Leave them for some days to solidify completely
- Take it to the local recycling centre to let the experts handle the rest
How to Dispose of Fresh Paint?
But if you have a recent house painting and have some leftover fresh paints then what to do? Well, if you have unopened cans of paint, you can just simply take them back to the paint shop and get a complete refund. Of course, you will need to check whether the paint shop allows this sustainable policy or not.
However, in most cases, you will be left with a half can of unused fresh paint while your house painting which will give you the dilemma of whether to throw or not to throw. You can store it for future use in an airtight container. Or else, you can immediately use it to paint other objects, like your dog house or some furniture to suit the look and feel of your house.
How to Safely Dispose of Latex Paint?
Latex paints are traditional water-based paints and are less hazardous than oil-based paints. The disposal regulations for latex paints thus are not as strict as it is for oil-based paints. But before disposing of latex paint see if you can repurpose it or if you can store it safely for future use. If it is completely unnecessary for you, then let it dry at first.
You can put a newspaper or kitty litter inside the can to absorb the liquid and help it dry easily in a ventilated area away from your pets and kids. After drying, you can scrape off the dry paint and throw it in the trash bins. Whereas you can give the plastic or metal paint can to a local recycling centre.
How to Dispose of Oil-based Paint?
You cannot however discard Oil-based paints the same way. The solvents, colours and pigments, fillers and binding agents used in manufacturing oil paints involve a range of harmful chemicals.
They demand more caution during and after disposal because of their higher levels of toxicity as well as flammability. So, how do you discard paint of this category? Well, you will have to directly take the left-over oil-based paint to your nearby hazardous waste disposal centre in the UK.
Many local municipalities and even NGOs often organise such collection events and hazardous item drop-off points where you can dispose of your small amount of leftover paint. But if the paint can is almost full and in complete good condition, you can either store it safely or donate it. This simple gesture will minimise the wastage of paints and prevent pollution and contamination caused by them.
How to Discard Spray Paint in The UK
Spray paints are excessively getting popular use to their ease of use and long-lasting effect. If your spray paint can is totally empty, you can easily dispose of it or give it to a recycling centre. The cans are mostly made up of aluminium and tinplated steel, both of which are fully recyclable.
But if there is still some paint within, it will be hazardous to throw them in the regular trash bin. Here too, you will have to separate them and dispose of them only in the hazardous waste drop-off centres. If you know any graffiti artists nearby, you can give the leftover spray paint to them as well. You may also get a spree graffiti art on your garage wall in return, you never know!
How to Repurpose or Discard Paint Tins
Don’t just let those paint tins, whether of metals or plastic, unnecessarily pile up in the landfills. Help the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) optimally recycle them. So, how do you discard paint cans? Well, separate them from other biodegradable waste products and dump them in recyclable trash bins. You can sell the cans in the local hardware shop and get the price for its base metal. You can also use these tins and cans as DIY craft materials.
Is There Anything Else You Can Do?
If you are strictly against the notion of paints getting to the waste fields, try donating them. Surely there will be government organisations, NGOs, schools and other charitable institutions in the local who will warmly accept your unused paints as donations. Opting for a responsible house painting service provider who follows sustainable measures of painting will also help you become gentle with mother nature.
To conclude, if after your house painting, you are left with one or two buckets full of paints, try searching for local organisations to donate them or dispose of them following the above safe measures. Whether for an environment-friendly, sensible painting partner, you can always visit the allweathercoating.co.uk. We are always here to make eco-friendly choices for your painting needs!
