Today, about 85 percent of all Architectural Coatings produced are water-based. Each year hundreds of millions of gallons of these products are sold to do-it-yourself customers and painting contractors. Because it is uncommon for the total amount of paint purchased to be used up, latex paint has become “the largest volume waste collected by metropolitan household waste programs,” according to a NPCA document. Liquid latex paint should never be poured down the sewer, and it cannot be thrown out with mixed solid waste. How, then, can any leftover product be disposed of in a responsible manner? The NPCA offers these suggestions:

• Blend leftover paint with smaller quantities of similar colors of latex paint and use as a primer on projects for which color quality and final finish are not critical.
• Donate leftover paint to community groups, theater groups, schools, or other organizations that could benefit from free paint.
• Pour latex-based paint into a paper box or bag filled with absorbent material like shredded newspaper or cat box filler to speed up the drying process. Recycle the empty steel can and, when the paint is completely dry, discard it with your regular trash.
(Adapted from the NPCA Issue Backgrounder, Volume 8, No., September 2000)