# How do YOU get rid of hazardous materials safely?



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Paint cans, leave them open to dry, then toss them in the garbage.

All others store until you have enough to go to the hazardous waste unit provided by the municipal government. Pay the fee, they take care of it.

There are certain habitat for humanities places that accept all partial paints, , they empty the base colors into a big drum, then do the dry the cans thing, dispose of the cans.

They sell the paint mixes to someone that wants cheap paint.

I think that they have to keep separate the oil based, and water based though.


ED


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

You can also pour sand into an open container of paint to dry it up quicker. Locally once a year they have a free hazardous pick up located in various parking lots across the region.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Our communities, both local and the larger city next door have collection days for everything including unused drugs. Quick and easy and once a year.

Bud


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

My county runs a residential toxics disposal site in a building at the central landfill. County residents can drop off their toxics there at no charge.

They also have what they call a reuse locker where you can pick up containers of paint, automotive products, cleaning products, etc that have been left by others. There is no charge for these products.

There is also a curbside pickup of toxics a couple times a year.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

I had this dilemma a few years ago. Someone left a pile of old floor tiles in the alley behind my house, next to my garbage cans. I happened to see them when I went back there to throw some garbage in the cans. Knowing how common it was for asbestos to be in tiles of that age (the design looked to be from the 40's or 50's) I thought about calling the village and asking them to take care when removing them. Then I started having second thoughts, as the village might think I placed them there and charge me to remove them, or fine me, or both. I just kept my mouth shut and a week later they were removed during our normal garbage removal. Even though I had nothing to do with this it still bugs me when I think about it.


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## dbloge (Jun 25, 2018)

There is a place around me that accept paint, but no latex paint? There is also a place to take your unwanted electronic items like tv's that the garbage man wont pick up.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Our County accepts all manners of household hazardous waste for free and the transfer site is about 5 minutes from me. Unused/timed-out, etc. drugs (medications) go to the local pharmacy. Between that any usual recycling and green bin, we (two people) put out a standard garbage bag about once every two months.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Paint is about the only thing I ever need to throw away and for that I dry it out in in a shallow box of the saved sawdust I have saved. Once dry it is legal trash here.



*If you don't have sawdust or kitty litter:*

For those readers who do not know Lowes and HD both sell a drying agent for latex paint. It is a small packet you stir in and it dries it out chemically. I suspect all paint stores also sell it.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-3-5-oz-Waste-Away-Paint-Hardener-for-Paint-Disposal-2134/100149311


https://www.lowes.com/pd/Krud-Kutter-Waste-Paint-Hardener-Actual-Net-Contents-3-5-oz/50299805


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

City holds several drop offs for hazardous waste each year. Problem is that
when I went to one year last they had a new policy far too extreme for me.
I pulled up and, as usual, they surrounded the car. I was then informed that 
I wasn't allowed to exit the car for my own safety. The horde of teens and 
early twenties (hired for the day I presume) were going in and out of the 
back doors and trunk where I couldn't see them. After a minute I realized 
one of them was removing bungees that secured a parts bin. I lost it. Got 
out and yelled at them. 
I'll never go back to one of those drop offs. 
Unfortunate really since I'm a big proponent of responsible waste disposal.


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## That Guy (Aug 19, 2017)

It depends on your location, but around here (western NY) the politicians got word of this, and its turned into a huge money maker for the municiple Govts... How so? Get this... you, as a home owner want to remove the asbestos siding from your house... No problem, just throw it out with your other trash - goes to local landfill no questions asked... Hire a contractor to do it, he needs a permit, a hazardous waste disposal permit and must abide by a HUGE list of requirements... then whatever landfill he goes to, will also charge him a 'fee' for dumping hazardous waste... what a joke..

Second, the new thing is 'recycle your old electronics' Most municipalities will allow you to drop them off at their respective highway departments for 'recycling'

But no one ever asks how theyre recycled... theres been a few documentaries on this... the gist of it is, they are loaded into shipping containers and sold to china and then DUMPED in open fields where the chinese are paid pennies a day to strip the electronics of precious metals ect...

So much for not polluting the earth.

As far as old paint is concerned, give it away on criagslist... if you have a lot, offer $20 to who ever, but they must take it all... people will fight over it...


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