Paint cans can often build up in your shed unknowingly as excess paint is simply put away and forgotten about for years. As your tastes change and you renovate and redesign your home some of the colours can become useless as they are no longer used in your home. Paint cans can take up quite a bit of space in your shed or garage, space that could and should otherwise be used for items that you will actually use.

Disposing of paint can be a challenge for those doing it for the first time or if you simply don’t remember the necessary steps. You cannot simply pour it down the sink or into the gutter to be washed away. There are a few environmental and legal things to consider, so here are the best ways to dispose of paint cans.

Council events

Councils will hold a chemical disposal event a couple of times every year and they are free events that enable you to dispose of any hazardous materials such as paint cans. Be sure to dispose of everything you have that you don’t need at these events to make space for useable items in your home. If you have more than 20L or 20Kg of painting solutions then you will need to arrange for a special drop off.

Waste collection

Some waste collection centres will also deal with hazardous chemicals and materials. Be sure to check before driving to the centre and explain exactly what you have so that they know whether they are able to deal with the waste or not.

Empty paint tins

Empty paint tins, in most cases, can be disposed of via the normal waste route of your garbage bins. However, be sure that there is no wet paint still left in them as this can be dangerous. Be sure to allow it to dry or pour it out onto newspaper to dry before disposing of it.

What you certainly cannot do is pour wet paints down the sink as these can easily contaminate waters and other areas that it ends up in. If you have any questions or are unsure of what to do with paint tins and paint when you need to dispose of it, you can call your local council or get it disposed of professionally and both these organisations will be able to help.