Disposal of paint

[John Rumm]

Anyone got any good ideas for losing a quantity of paint?

I need to clear out a garage for someone prior to their house sale. It seems that over the years they have collected the usual array of part tins of paint (probably 30 tins or more). I spoke with the local council, who said it can go in the black sack rubbish, but only if dried out first! Local skips will take emulsion as long as the tin is well sealed, but not gloss.

[Steve Williams]

Try

on where you are you should have access to a reuse project.

Steve

[Mr Uncalled-For]

Empty it out onto a big bit of cardboard and throw that away when it's dried?

[Martin Pentreath]

My local tip would take it if I put sand or soil in the tin so that it wasn't liquid any more. I thought it better not to ask exactly what difference that made to anything in case they changed their minds.

[Huge]

It means it won't leak out of the skip into their nice clean yard.

[Stephen Howard]

It obviously varies from region to region then - my local tip seems to take all kinds of paint, in any condition...and that's where I often buy my paint from.

Regards,

[John Rumm]

Good idea, I will see... Not sure how much of it will be usable - some has stood outside during the winter so may have been frozen.

[Stuart Noble]

Plaster or sawdust would be more absorbent

[zikkimalambo]

If all else fails, perhaps his neighbours and or yours could put one tin each in their rubbish bin for a few weeks (or fortnights/two weeks depending on the whim of your local council).

[George]

Take the lids of the gloss for a night or two...skin will form over and seal the paint in the tin. :-P

[Julian]

Drop em into your wheelie bin at a rate of about 1/2 dozen/collection - make sure they go in first and cover them with kitchen waste.

I've just disposed of a broken Belfast sink in a wheelie bin - it took two weeks but saved a journey to the tip.

If you are living in a remote area then just incinerate the stuff - I use an old 45gallon drum for this purpose.

Julian.

[Mogga]

Freecycle. You won't believe what some people put on there and what gets taken. Or paint recycling schemes specifically for redistributing old paint.

Or if you're feeling horrid then you could bag it up and take it along to your local charity shop and let them deal with it. (You couldn't imagine some of the stuff that gets donated)

[John Rumm]

That was one option, but would need to bring them home with me for that.

I have now found one tip about 20 miles away in Brentwood that participates in the paint recycling scheme. So it might be worth a trip over there.