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So Long, Old Paint! Tips On How To Use And Dispose Of Leftover Paint 
Some things are hard to throw away. Like old love letters, or your favorite sweater with the holes in the elbows.Or all those cans of leftover paint in the garage -- not for sentimental reasons, but because you don't know where to throw them. The trash collectors may not take them, the landfill may not want them, and it's risky (and possibly illegal) to pour them down the drain. Many paint companies get a lot of questions about disposing of old paint safely. Unfortunately, there is no single, simple answer, but the following National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA) guidelines should help. Try not to buy more than you need. In a perfect world, you would finish off your paint job with the last brushful in the can - supply and demand in perfect balance. In real life, it seldom works out that way, but some simple steps can get you close.  Go Back to Top  Careful measurement of your room (with accurate deductions for windows and doors) or the objects you are planning to paint will help your paint salesperson estimate how much you need. Also, see what the label directions say about coverage. An average coverage rate is 400 to 450 square feet per gallon for one-coat coverage, although that figure may vary depending on the condition of the surface you are painting and the type of paint product you are using.Think of other uses for leftover paint. If there's only a little paint left in the can, use it up. This shouldn't cause any variation in color if the surface is light or medium in color (if the paint you're using is a very dark or bright color however, variation could result). Leftover paint can also be saved for touching up scrapes and smudges later. Be sure to replace the lid tightly and store the paint away from extreme heat, cold or flame sources, pilot lights, and out of the reach of children and pets. Make sure the lid is secured to prevent leakage, and store the paint can upside down. The paint will create a seal around the lid, preserving the paint quality. If you have a full, unopened can of a stock (factory-mixed) color (not a custom-tinted paint), check with your dealer or retailer to see if you can get a refund. No matter how you make use or dispose of your leftover paint, remember -- never contaminate it by pouring anything else into the can! If you can provide a color sample of their contents, unopened cans may attract a buyer at a yard sale. Or consider a giveaway: community theater groups, churches, recreation departments, day-care centers or shelters may be glad to accept and use free leftover paint. This is a good way to add new life to old, useable paint.  Go Back to Top Know what kind of paint you have Household paints fall into one of two general categories: latex, in which the major liquid ingredient is water, and alkyd or oil-based, which contains some sort of solvent. If you're unsure, check the cleanup instructions on the label. Latex products can be cleaned up with soap and water; cleanup of alkyd products requires paint thinner or mineral spirits. The great majority of today's household paints, 75 to 80 percent, are water-based latex formulations. Most of these latex paints can be disposed of by pouring the residual paint on an absorbent material, such as cat box filler or shredded paper; let the mixture dry completely, and dispose of it in your regular trash. Generally, once you have used up the latex paint, a thin film of paint can be left in the paint can to dry. Do this in an area out of reach of children and pets with the lid off. The cans, with completely dried latex paint film, may then be disposed of with your household trash or recycled in a steel can recycling program. Alkyd (solvent-containing) paints need special handling, as do products such aspaint thinners and strippers, many stains and wood preservatives, turpentine and mineral spirits. Thinners and turpentine can be reused if you let any paint particles settle to the bottom, and then pour the clear liquid off into a separate, clean container with a lid and clearly mark the new container. Discard the leftover residue when dry; you can help this drying process by adding cat box filler and then throwing the dried material away with your trash. 
When it's time to dispose of solvent paint products, save them -- tightly covered and away from heat or flame sources - for a special household hazardous waste collection day. More and more communities are sponsoring household hazardous
waste collection days, so check with your local solid waste office to see if your town or community has such a program for paint products. If not, maybe you or a group could help get one started.And remember -- if you're getting rid of aerosol spray paint, be sure to check the label instructions, and don't puncture the can or toss it into an incinerator! If the aerosols are empty, recycle the containers in a steel can recycling program. Partially full spray cans which cannot be used up or donated should be saved for a household hazardous waste collection day. Go Back to Top What about recycling paint?
The paint industry is taking a hard look at the possibility of recycling paint. Based on limited experiments in a few locations across the country, some paint can be reblended into a low-quality recycled product - but there are many potential problems.Recyclers worry that the old paint may have been contaminated, with other chemicals or by bacteria, or that it may contain ingredients that would not meet today's stringent environmental regulations.  Manufacturers are also concerned because there is currently no market for recycled paint. Those who have experimented with recycling paint point out that while the recycled product can be tinted in a limited number of colors, those colors seem "muddy" and lack appeal because the recycled tint-base is not pure white. While paint recycling is by no means a solution to paint disposal, the industry has not stopped looking for ways to address these and other problems. Meanwhile, the tips in this brochure may make it easier to say "So Long, Old Paint" in ways that are environmentally safe.Courtesy
National Paint and Coatings Association 1500 Rhode Island Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005-5597 Phone: (202) 462-6272 Website ©2000 County of Wilson, NC. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer. Send questions or comments to the Webmaster. 101 North Goldsboro Street * P.O. Box 1728 * Wilson NC 27894-1728 Page last updated December 4, 2000. |