Buying the perfect amount of paint for your home improvement project can be difficult. You can often go through and measure the amount you need, but unforeseen circumstances make it so you either use less than you thought you might or have to buy more paint for touch-ups and corrections. When this happens, you might have leftover paint that you're unsure what to do with it. At UCI Paints, we want to make sure that you're not simply dumping the paint down the drain or in the trash without taking the steps for proper disposal. So, our team put together four tips for proper paint recycling and disposal.

Consider proper storage

You don't always have to get rid of extra paint when you've completed your project. Instead of sending it away to the dump, consider what you can do to store it properly. You're going to need to have paint for touch-ups and fixes eventually anyway, so it's not a bad idea to have the same batch of paint that you used to paint over nicks and scratches later. What's more, you don't have to worry too much about your paint going bad as latex paint can last 10 years on the shelf while oil-based paints will last as many as 15 years. Storing your paint means you have some readily available when your kids decide to paint a mud mural on the side of your house with sticks or take crayons to the living room wall.

Recycle paint cans

Should you decide that you want to get rid of the paint, be sure to properly dispose of the paint itself and the cans that it came in. You can throw latex paint in your trash bin, but only after it's been adequately dried. You can use cat litter or newspaper to soak up the paint at the bottom of a can. If you still have quite a bit leftover, consider buying a paint hardener. After you've completed the necessary steps, put the dried-out paint in your garbage can to go out with the rest of your trash. It's best when empty paint cans are taken to a metal recycling center.

Oil paints are hazardous waste

In contrast to the simple disposal of latex paint, oil-based paints are considered hazardous waste. Communities will often hold hazardous waste collection events to encourage proper disposal of such items so they don't end up in the landfill. You can get more information about these events by getting in touch with your local county seat or looking online at earth911.com, where you can put in what you're looking to recycle with your zip code, and it will give you a list of facilities that will take your waste. Oil-based paints are one of the options that are available for you.

Donate it

Sometimes we have a hard time throwing something out that we paid good money for. You're not alone if you're hesitant to throw your excess paint in the trash. Instead, look into donating it. Nonprofit organizations like Habit for Humanity typically take donations of building materials, and paint is no different. Reach out to your local chapter to learn more about what they take.

Contact us for more

Proper paint recycling and disposal are important parts of maintaining clean and healthy communities. At UCI Paints, we're committed to the proper disposal and recycling of paint. Get in touch with us by calling 954-581-6060 to learn more about our paint recycling program and selling repurposed paints at discounted prices. You can also send your inquiries via our online contact form.