Although it’s safe to use paint in our homes, it’s important to remember it can be damaging to the environment if it isn’t disposed of correctly. Do NOT put paint cans and tins in your mixed recycling bin and paint must not be poured down the drain.
The first thing to consider if you’ve got plenty of paint left is to ask family, friends or neighbours if they want it. Alternatively, you could Freecycle or Freegle it.
There are also a number of community paint schemes that accept donations of leftover paint. One of the biggest is the Community RePaint scheme sponsored by Dulux, which lists places nationwide where paint can be donated. It is then provided in part and full containers of affordable, leftover paint to individuals, groups and organisations.
You will find links to schemes in Bolton, Rochdale, Moss Side and Wythenshawe in Manchester on the Community RePaint site here.
If your paint is very old and unsuitable for re-use, or you can’t find someone locally who can use it, you need to make sure the paint is hardened before you dispose of it. As we’ve already cautioned, paint cannot be placed in your household mixed recycling bin and must not be poured down the drain where it can cause damage and blockages.
If you have a small amount of paint left, brush it on to scrap paper or cardboard and leave it to dry. Once dry, the paper or card can be placed in your household bin. If there is a larger amount of paint in the can (more than a few centimetres deep), add some dry soil, sand or sawdust and leave it to harden.
Take your paint cans to your nearest household waste recycling centre where plastic paint cans are disposed of responsibly and metal paint cans are sent for recycling.
Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hire to carry out improvements, repair or alterations to your home is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.
