What & Where to Recycle INDEX | Paint

Remember: paint, paint thinners, turpentine, mineral spirts and solvents should never be poured down a drain or storm sewer.

RECYCLE HERE!
Flathead County Landfill: 758-5910
(see Household Hazardous Waste guidelines.)

For reuse, check with Habitat for Humanity, 257-8800

Use care when working around paint products. Paints, thinners and solvents are among the most dangerous chemicals found in the home. Many paint-related products contain petroleum distillates. Look for these words on the label: ethylene, toluene, xylene, acetone, or methylene chloride. Some solvents in paint products are flammable or corrosive, others explode easily, and most are toxic. Most solvent exposure results from breathing vapors. To reduce exposure, adequate ventilation is critical.

Reduce and Reuse:
Proper Disposal Tips: Did you know that when properly stored, paint can last for years. Just cover the opening with plastic wrap and make sure the lid fits securely so the paint doesn't leak. Then, and here is the key step: store the paint can upside down. The paint will create a tight seal around the lid, keeping the paint fresh until you need it again.
* Check with your local school art or drama department.
* Check with friends and neighbors.
* Check with your paint store. Some brands are beginning to offer recycling programs for paint they sell.

Did You know? Each year Americans purchase more than half a billion gallons of paint. Like most of our neighbors, we each have stored partially used cans of paint stashed away in the garage, closet or basement--many that will never be used.

* Studies have shown that 27% to 43% of all hazardous waste materials disposed of in landfills were paint products

.* A can full of paint is a can full of potential pollution, if improperly disposed of. Common hazardous ingredients found in oil-based paints include: alky resin, kerosene, lead, lithopone, mercury, methylene choride, methyl ethyl ketone mineral spirts, titanium dioxide, toluene, trichloroethane and xylene.

Water-based paints can contain acrylic resigns, ethylene glycol, lead and mercury.

* http://www.reduce.org

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