Paint Disposal
A few ways to dispose of that old paint
We follow best practices when it comes to paint disposal. This is a part of painting that has a huge impact on our environment and we believe in minimizing our impact as painters.
"Just tell me how to get rid of it!" - Okay, so you're living in Toronto and need to know how to dispose of that paint? If it's still reusable to some extent you can take a step in the recycling direction by transporting your paint to a "Reuse Centre" at your local Household Hazardous Waste Depot. Staff at these locations sorts out the paint and puts aside what is still usable, you can also pickup paint from these places to use in your future projects.
The "HHW Reuse Centres" are located at Bermondsey, Disco, Ingram and Scarborough Transfer Stations. Take a look at Toronto's fantastic website to get the full scoop on the HHW depots - HHW Reuse Centres.
Avoidance - The best paint disposal method
Avoiding paint disposal is the best way to deal with extra paint
Our typical method of paint disposal is to just avoid it altogether by re-using all of our paint, there are a always a few painting projects where paint colour is not a huge concern and this is were typically we will use our left over paints. This has a benefit as it allows us to not only offer our a client a break on paint costs but also allows us to do our best to maximize the usage of our paint thereby minimizing our environmental impact and ultimately avoiding paint disposal.
However, when considering the options of paint disposal it's important to be aware of what it is your disposing of; paint is generally made up of four components, pigments, resins, solvents, and additives. What type of solvents have been put into the paint is the deciding factor for the method of paint disposal.
For the city of Toronto's paint and hazardous waste disposal information please visit their page here.
Reduce paint disposal
Practices to reduce the amount of paint disposed of
Lately paint manufacturers have been coming out with safer and better paint products, however even latex based paint still needs to be disposed of and handled properly. It is both illegal and irresponsible to consider disposing of paint by pouring it into the storm drainage system as these systems typically run directly into the local waterways.
When cleaning painting equipment used with latex based paints, such as paint brushes of paint rollers, first you must remove as much paint as possible (for re-use) which can be done using various tools. A typical 5-in-1 painters tool has a semi-circlular round edge that when pressed against a roller squeezes any left over paint out which can go straight back into the paint can. Also all paint trays or other paint holding tools this paint can be put back into the paint can as well. These practices help to minimize the amount of paint to dispose of all together.
Disposing of latex based paints
Latex paints are the friendlier option
When disposing of latex based paint, you need to either let the paint dry out by removing the lid and letting them sit for awhile, or put in an additive to make it into a solid by mixing it with a material such as kitty litter or sawdust. Once you've let it dry out or turned your latex paint into a solid you can put it in your recycling but this really depends on where you are located and your local paint disposal guidelines.
Disposing of oil / alkyd based paint
Oil / alkyd based paint is a bit tougher
When dealing with oil / alkyd based paint the paint disposal methods are different, with a much higher VOC content and typically carrying flammable properties much greater care must be taken with this type of paint disposal. The ideal method of alkyd/oil paint disposal will be set out by your local municipality but typically it must be disposed of at a special hazardous waste management center or your local recycling center. Never throw this stuff out in the garbage or pour it anywhere, there is a reason alkyd based paint is being phased out as it really is quite terrible for our environment and there are a lot of alternatives now that can replace the usage of these paints.
Ultimately proper paint disposal methods are set forth by your local municipality and must be adhered to and followed diligently.