By Staff Contributor

After a span of time spent on painting, one last problem would certainly arise: how would home paint be disposed? Because of its adverse effects on the environment if improperly disposed, it would be a necessary thing to know how these are disposed of properly, without the guilt of angering the clean and green advocates.

First you need to know the two basic types of decorating paint, and these two have two different proper disposing tactics. The first is the latex paint and the solvent or alkyd paint. The latter is more potentially hazardous to human health and the environment, so disposing of this requires certain strict guidelines, mainly because of their lethal consequences in cases of intake.

For the latex paint:

  1. Solidify the paint first. It is necessary to solidify the liquid paint first for proper trash disposal. Pour the designer paint in a kind of vessel, like a cat litter box or a pile of sawdust. This will absorb the liquidity of the paint. Wait for it to achieve a solid form.
  2. Dispose of it. Throw it in the trash bin like normal trash.
  3. Clean the painting tools. After applying your new home colors, clean your painting tools in running water.
  4. Bring the metal can to the junk shop. The metal vessel of the home designer paint can be recycled even with the bits of dried paint still in it.

For the solvent-based paint:

  1. Contact the paint store or the local government for waste disposal programs. Leave the problem of disposing of these to your area's hazardous waste collection program. They usually collect this paint on a more or less yearly basis. If there is no such program in your area, ask the local environmental committee to help you in disposing of home paint.
  2. Keep them away from heat and children. In the meantime, store them in tightly sealed cans. Keep them away from children's reach. Because this paint is flammable, please store it in a cool and dry place.
  3. Clean the painting tools. Remember to clean the painting tools used, not with water but with turpentine. Never put the paint in the drainage.

Here are things that must never be done:

  1. Never throw paint in rivers and other water systems.
  2. Never burn paint.
  3. Never litter liquid paint in a trash bin, especially alkyd paint.

Remember this - Paint is never meant to be thrown away. Therefore, try to consume all the contents of the can before disposing of it. Search the Internet for creative ways of reusing and recycling home paint, and make the most of your purchase at earth911.org. Also consider in your next purchase to estimate the necessary amount of paint to be used. You can use this site for exact paint estimates in the future.

Painting with home paint to accessorize our homes is never bad, but forgetting about our responsibility for our surroundings and other citizens as well compels us to be responsible in everything that we do.