Paint recycling and how to recycle paint cans

Filed in Blog, Recycle by on February 4, 2014 1 Comment
FavoriteLoadingAdd article to favourites

recycling paint and cansSpring is just around the corner; can you feel it?

I’m eager to throw open the windows and have a good spring clean.

And the garage; oh the garage – it’s calling me daily for a good declutter.

Mr Green thinks otherwise…

One of the things most of us have lying around is paint.

You might have empty cans that you’re procrastinating about or half used tins you know you’ll never use.

Here are three ways to clear the clutter and freshen up your conscience:

Donate the paint

Any paint that is still usable can be donated on Freecycle, local community groups or Community RePaint.

Community repaint are a fantastic group who connect people who have paint to donate with the people who need it such as families on income support, former homeless people, or children’s playgrounds.

Recycle the paint

Some Household Waste Recycling Centres have collection points for paint.  I’d love to hear in the comments below whether or not you can take yours locally.

We used to have a collection but now it’s been taken away. Apparently waste paint is so low hazzard that it is ‘safe’ to put it into landfill where it causes little damage to the environment….(sigh)

Recycle paint cans

One of our readers, Chris, told me about Dulux Decorator Centres Can Recycling. Apparently every part of the packaging and contents is used:

  • Plastic is made into pellets then used to make garden furniture
  • Metals is used to make coathangers and tools
  • Water based paint is made into compost
  • Solvent based waste is used to generate energy

Sign up and register here.

What about you? How would you responsibly dispose of unwanted paint or cans?

About the Author ()

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.

Comments (1)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. juliadumelow says:

    I am horrified to hear from friends from Utah staying in the UK that Utah does not recycle! Anything. All their waste goes to landfill! How can we apply pressure to the USA to ensure recycling is mandatory?

Leave a Reply