Being the good recycler........

[Tony De Masi]

So, three months ago we moved into a used house. There were several cans of paint left in the garage that we were not going to use, so I took them to the landfill where they have a "special recycling shed" for paint to be recycled. At least that's what the sign said. So today I make another trip to the landfill with a bunch of brush and what do I see!!!!!! The workers at the landfill are taking paint from the "recycling shed" and dumping it into freshly made mulch from the brush pile I just added to:eek: I couldn't believe it. So I just had to ask the workers there if this is what they did to "recycle" paint. And the answer, you're just gonna love this..." well, we used to collect the paint and send it to a recycling center but when they started to charge us for it the boss said just dump it in the mulch." I just turned around and headed back to my truck. And the mulch made at the landfill, yep you gotta pay for it too. %*!$^&*:eek:

Tony

[Chris Kennedy]

I would contemplate contacting your local newspaper or TV station about this one. It is dishonest at the very least.

Cheers,

Chris

[Joe Pelonio]

Oil or latex? If it's latex the recommendation here is to pour it out, let it dry then put in the garbage for the landfill. In this case it wouldn't really do much harm.

If it's oil based then that can cause some pretty nasty problems for someone using the mulch and should be reported to an authority.

On the other hand, I bet if you went back today or tomorrow you will find no sign of that. Someone will have told someone else about your question and they would eventually realize that a cover-up is in order.

[Chris Padilla]

Conspriacy! Conspiracy! You shoulda whipped out your handy-dandy mini-video recorder, Tony!!! :D

Next on your list is to go find out what the recycling center does with the paint! :)

[Dave Lehnert]

Around here you can't put cans of wet paint in the trash. But you can dump it out on newspaper, let it dry then put it in the trash.

[keith ouellette]

Around here you can't put cans of wet paint in the trash. But you can dump it out on newspaper, let it dry then put it in the trash.

To follow up with what dave said I do think they are at least doing something with the paint that is better than putting it in the land fill.

I am all for recycling.

dried paint is not much of a problem. still liquid paint in a land fill does not get to solidify if it is under ground so its dangerous liquid parts can make it to the water supply.

If it is pored over the top of a mulch pile and mixed in, it will dry much as if it was put on anything else and become a none problem.

At least a none problem for anyone who doesn't want un painted mulch.

I wouldn't worry to much about it.

[Shawn Christ]

Although an unusual sight, I'm sure, I don't think there is any wrongdoing here. One recommended way to dispose of partial cans of old paint is to fill them with cat litter and allow the cans to sit open for a couple days before throwing them in the trash. The litter absorbs the liquids and allows the paint to (mostly) dry. Using mulch would be a similar approach.