discussion Liquid leftovers (paints, white spirits, etc)

[AFC]

I’m wondering what folks do with paints and thinned paints leftovers, white spirits used to clean their brushes, airbrush cleaners, etc.

Do you have a special process to ”recycle”? Do you flushed them down in the toilet? Do you keep them in a bottle and dispose it in any special location?

 

[Ian M]

I save them up on a bottle and deliver them to the local recycle center as "dangerous waste".
Never ever flush them down the loo.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Best thing to do with paint is put it on something and let it dry. As to thinners like white spirit, if you leave them to settle and decant off the clear phase you can use them again. Disposal via the household drainage system is illegal in the UK. Ian‘s option is the best one, use the local authority tip.....

 

[Guest]

This is one reason I try to use exclusively acrylic paints.

Like Tim, I have a number of jars in which I store things like white spirit. Anything that can't be soaked up in kitchen towel goes in the jar and once the solids settle it's fine for reuse.

 

[Jim R]

It all goes into an old coffee jar. When it starts to look truly grotty I take it to our local household tip. The tip is only a mile or so away and so I take it when I walk the dog.
Jim

 

[stona]

I use a 2 litre container into which I flush my airbrush. Every now and then I tip the contents and any other solvents I no longer need into another bottle and when I've accumulated enough I take it to household recycling.

My local centre will take up to six 2.5 litre containers! I usually dispose of one half full (at best) 1 litre container every few months, depending how much model making I've been doing.

I haven't been since the lockdown requirement to book a slot and still have much less than a litre to dispose of. I really don't use that much.

 

[Guest]

This is one of the advantages of my job.

Multiple 25 litre barrels for any kind of liquids, then three 205 litre barrels for containers.

One for metal tins, one for plastics that have had solvents in, and one for plastics that have contained water based acrylics.

 

[AFC]

Thanks all for the good tips.

Will also check how can I decant off the white spirits Like @Tim Marlow suggested.