Disposing of or Recycling Paint Cans

There’s a list of things you can not put in a Dauphin Container and wet paint is one of them.

Wet paint will get everywhere. If thrown away in your garbage when the garbage truck closes its jaws to compact the garbage the paint cans can bust open and paint will leak out of the truck onto the road. A paint job that could literally last for miles on the streets of Mobile as the garbage trucks roll down the street.

If wet paint is thrown in the recycling the wet paint can ruin recycling sorter machines and gum up the works of the moving parts at the recycling centers.

If wet paint is thrown in a dumpster the paint can spill and permanently mark the dumpster with the wet pain.

How do you dispose of wet paint?

It has to be dried. Paint cans that have completely dry paint in them are ok to throw away in your local trash, but the trick is the paint has to be dry, gone, or not wet.

How to dry out the old paint.

You can prepare the paint cans for disposal by drying out the wet paint inside. Here are several ways you can do that:

• Use the remaining paint on large pieces of cardboard. Pouring out the paint, or applying the paint in many layers on the same piece of cardboard until the can is completely dry inside.
• Cat litter or Sand: Add cat litter or sand, or aquarium rocks to the remaining paint to absorb and dry the remaining paint. A dry lump of paint can be thrown away.
• Use all of the paint you have on the project. If you still have paint left maybe apply a second coat to the project to make sure you do not have wet paint to throw away.
• Leave the can open. If you only have a little paint left leave the lid open on the paint and let it air dry.
• Newspapers.

Paint cans that are dry can be disposed of in the trash, and in our dumpsters.