Tips for Environmentally Safe Paint Disposal
While adding color to your home or business can certainly give it a face lift, we should all consider the environmental impact of the paint. From indoor painting to outdoor painting to furniture refinishing, there are different types of paint you can choose from. Paint is often considered a hazardous material and can be harmful to people, animals and the environment. So choosing wisely is important.
Properly dispose of leftover water-based paint. You should never pour paint or any paint-related products down your household drain. Paint should be packaged correctly in a sealed container and then picked up or delivered to a hazardous material waste center.
Latex and oil-based paints should be dried up using a paint hardener or cat litter. Latex paints can then be recycled and oil-based paints should be taken to your nearest hazardous waste location.
Make sure if you don’t use all of the paint, you save it for another project or donate it to a church, school or a local theater to use. This will avoid more waste.
Allow your almost empty cans to air out and dry up before sealing them.
Choose paints made with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-these are better for the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are organic chemical compounds whose composition makes it possible for them to evaporate under normal indoor atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure.”
Always ensure proper ventilation when using any type of paint.
