What to do with old Polyurethane?

[Michael Lutz]

I was cleaning the shop and found some minwax oil base polyurethane from 1999 and 2001. I suppose that the finishes are toast at this point. I am getting away from using oil based products in my basement shop due to the fumes spreading throughout the house. How would you dispose of them? Would the finish evaporate if the can was left open?

Thanks,

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Yea, set the open cans out until the finish gels/"cures" and then dispose of them in your local hazardous good collection.

[Prashun Patel]

Call yr township. They probably have a dropoff day a few times a month for haz chemicals

[Russ Filtz]

I would call the solid waste dept. of your city/county. I bet once they "set" you can probably just toss in the normal trash. Should be no different from throwing out an old broken plastic toy I would think (oh wait, that toy probably has lead in it!)

[Matt Meiser]

Here they would say to let it evaporate and then dispose in the normal trash.

Edit: I just looked at the county's web site. Latex products must be allowed to dry out and then thrown in the regular trash. Oil-based are to be taken to the household hazardous waste collection days they have a few times per year.

[Jim Becker]

In this area, oil-based products are considered hazardous waste and are "supposed" to go to that bi-annual event. Water borne products can be disposed of in the normal trash pickup. Of course...what folks actually do varies... ;)

[Andrew Nemeth]

I find if I just leave the containers open without any additives they skin over and the liquid underneath takes a long time to solidify. I have always had good luck mixing in sawdust or kitty litter before allowing it to set. As long as everything is fully cured I don't see it as being much different than throwing out a strips of old flooring that have a finish on them. Of course, I would check with your municipality as to how to dispose of the "dry" material.

-Andrew

[Michael Lutz]

Thanks,

I will try to get the poly to dry and then will properly dispose of it.

Mike