Disposing of hazardous liquids

[Patrick Bateman]

We moved house recently and the previous owner was nice enough to leave an absolute ton of paint, white spirit, expanding foam and many other flammables that are of little use to me.

What’s the best legitimate way of disposing? Local recycling centres don’t seem to touch this other than paint you’ve mixed with sawdust or let fully dry.

[Road2Ruin]

Our recycling centre accepts all of this. Have you checked? Failing that, call a commercials waste collection service like wastecare.

[rlg43p]

Put cat litter in the paint and wait until it sets. Then you can dispose of it at a local dump.

[Mr Whippy]

My local waste website had wittering about letting paint dry etc, but then seemed to suggest it was also ok in the “burn bin”

In the end I took it all down there and one of the sensible chaps there helped sort it in the best way… but I get the impression others can be a pita.


One thing I noticed however was plaster and rubble/soil are now ok, but only in limited amounts per visit each week… a few years back it was £4 for a 50l bag iirc.

They definitely seem to be a bit more pragmatic now for home owners.

[OutInTheShed]

give it away or sell it for a few quid to charity?

Facebook marketplace?
Find someone who does car boot sales?
You could ask about donating it to some organisation like your local men's shed.

I think most people gave this stuff to my Dad while he was around...

[andrewcliffe]

When I was helping my M-I-L downsize, there were loads of part used paints and in the end I got a load of cheap cat litter, tipped it in the paint pots and left the lids off for a weekend. Then took it all to the tip where no questions were asked.

Occassionally tips do a haz.waste amnesty and will accept things like that without needing cat litter.

[Byker28i]

Our local recycling center takes part used paint tins.

Any re-use places near you take them. Some collect part tins of paint then allow people to have them for free if they need just a small amount for a job (or are prepared to mix colours)

[PhilboSE]

It all depends on your local facility. Might be best to check onsite; my council says that you hand over paint tins and they get transferred to a central recycling facility, but at the dump they told me to just chuck them all in the black bin / general rubbish container.

[Chumley.mouse]

Just drop them in the wheelie bin one tin at a time .

How can anyone not need turps ?

[dhutch]

Ive just asked my local council what I do with a broken mercury thermometer, and the the answer was to take it to the tip and hand it to the man.

[Patrick Bateman]

Chumley.mouse said:

Just drop them in the wheelie bin one tin at a time .

How can anyone not need turps ?

I won't be doing that. One bottle is handy but I don't need or want a massive surplus of it and various paints and chemicals.

Cheers for the suggestions. The websites for 2 potential councils I can use say they do not accept hazardous chemicals so I'll maybe try and find a waste management company/list on gumtree.

[dhutch]

If there is good usable paint, a lot of local areas now have a 'paint exchange' type outfit which will take and resell unwanted paint etc.

[andrewcliffe]

place an advert on Local FB groups.