Proper disposal of dirty paint thinner

[lowell holmes]

How do you do it. I have been keeping dirty paint thinner left after cleaning brushes.
I have several cans of it. Waste disposal sites are difficult to find.
Is there some way that I don't know about?

Maybe we could start a waste disposal forum here at the creek.

Thanks

[Sam Puhalovich]

Lowell ... up-at-the-start of the forum is a article by another fellow Texan, Scott Holmes.
I follow his 'recipe' for brush care.
If you let the material sit for a few weeks, the thinner will pretty separate to the top.
Carefully pour it off into another container thru a coffee filter ... and re-use it.

[roger wiegand]

Allowing it to settle and reusing works great. For brush cleaning you just need to pour the clear thinner off the top gently, you don't even need to mess with the filter. I keep a couple containers going, after a can has been allowed to sit for a couple weeks the settled material clings quite well to the bottom when you pour off.

As to disposal you should be able to call your town or county for instructions, probably the department of public works. Around here every town has a toxic waste collection day one to three times a year where they will take and properly dispose of such things. Googling "household hazardous waste disposal" finds programs in several towns close to you.

Failing that you might ask a commercial shop how they dispose of their materials-- they might let you dispose of your material in their drum for a small fee if it is compatible.

[George Bokros]

[QUOTE=roger wiegand;2553058]Around here every town has a toxic waste collection day one to three times a year where they will take and properly dispose of such things. Googling "household hazardous waste disposal" finds programs in several towns close to you./QUOTE]

There is no program for this kind of disposal in the whole county I live in. In other close areas the city or county makes you prove you are a resident with a copy of utility bill.

[Dan Hulbert]

Most (if not all) paints and finishes are non-toxic when dry. When I need to get rid of old nasty's, I spread out some newspaper, add a thick layer of sawdust, shavings, kitty litter, dirt (or whatever is handy) then pour the liquid on the pile. Sometimes I'll even take a stick and mix it a bit. Leave it alone for a few days and you have solid waste which can go out with regular trash.
My shop is in a detached garage and I live on the high plains. No fumes get into the house and there is typically not much humidity. Things dry quickly here and the wife rarely ventures into the shop.

[Howard Acheson]

Here is how you clean brushes and end up re-cycling your thinner(cleaner).