What's the proper way of disposing paint?

Question

I have a can of paint I don't need anymore. Does anybody know what's the proper way to dispose of it? It seems wrong to just throw it in with the rest of the garbage.

Answer 1

I like the way you think.

If there's less than an inch or so of paint in a can, let it air dry and then dispose of the can, with the lid off, in the trash or at a metal recycling place. If you have more paint than that it will take forever to air dry. Some towns will accept oil-based paints for recycling but most won't take latex paint. However, if you add something like "Waste Paint Hardener" to a can of latex paint it will solidify enough to be accepted in landfills. You can get this stuff in small packages at home centers and paint stores. I've used them and they work quickly  & effectively.

Of course, there are other options. See if a neighbor can use the paint, or donate it to a non-profit. The National Paint & Coatings Assoc has a lot of good suggestions for reusing/recycling paint, too:

http://www.paint.org/issues/post_consume...

And what about used paint thinner? Here's what to do with it:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skill-bu...

Answer 2

Here, oil based has to go to the hazardous waste and recycling. They will donate full unused cans too.

Latex is just rubber and the other comments are correct. Dry it out and throw it away. Cat litter was recommended here by the city for drying it out. It worked great for me. I left one can open in the winter and didn't dry in the cold garage over a couple of months. I mixed the cat litter in it and it dried in couple days.

Good Luck.    

Answer 3

let it dry then throw the clump away