Paint and Oil Recycling

Waste such as paint, paintbrushes, car oil and oil filters have to be carefully disposed of, as they can be very damaging to the environment. Some paints and related products (paint thinners/strippers) include hazardous ingredients, and although latex paint is less harmful than oil-based paint to the environment and public health, all types of paint should be handled and disposed of properly.

• Don't pour oil or paint down the drain.
• Donate unwanted paints and varnishes, as others can reuse them.
• Look for disposal or recycling instructions on the packaging of the product,
• Use eco-friendly alternatives whenever possible.
• Recycling keeps 64 million gallons of paint out of landfills or incinerators.
• When recycled, latex paint can become a whole new product. It can be processed to make concrete, cement and other additives. It can be reprocessed into new paint, or it can be consolidated and reused. Anti-graffiti teams can use re-blended paint for covering clandestine paint jobs on public spaces.
• Oil-based paint can be burned as fuel to produce energy. While this energy is beneficial, this is an expensive proposition. Proper filtering proceedures need to be in place to avoid polluting the air as well.
• Paint cans are typically made of plastic, which may be recycled if all paint is removed.

Some paint facts:

Oil-Based Paint
Before 1978, many paint pigments contained fair amounts of mercury. These neurotoxins can be especially harmful to developing children, as well as the adult brain, nervous system and virtually every organ. Commercial or industrial settings still allow the use of lead-based paint and primer.

• Today, most oil-based paints are undercoats or primers, stains or special application paints for floors, metal and cars.
• Oil-based paint will always come in a metal can, with the word “alkyd” often on the label or instructions to “thin” or “clean up” with mineral spirits or turpentine.
• The paint itself is flammable because it contains petroleum distillates, commonly known as paint thinner.
• The vapors it gives off, called volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) can be very dangerous.

Latex Paint
Today, most common paints are latex or water-based paints, but these are still considered hazardous. Latex paint contains VOC’s, in smaller amounts, and toxic chemicals to help extend shelf life and retard mold and mildew growth. Also, while the amount has been reduced over time, there’s no telling how much mercury is in your older paint cans.

• The danger of mercury or VOCs subsides after the paint dries (so applying it with lots of ventilation and a safety mask would not hurt either). This does not apply to lead-based paint, as the dust or chips are hazardous.
• Latex paint is water-based, meaning it thins and cleans up with water (no paint thinner required).
• It (as well as oil-based paint) comes in many different finishes (flat, semi-gloss, gloss, enamel).