What do I do with my left over paint?

This is a question that I get all the time. Here is how you can dispose of paint in Montgomery County:

DRY IT UP!

All residual/leftover paint must be hardened or dried. Any liquid or soft paint will be left as unacceptable by collection crews.

Remove lids from cans, and put both lids and cans into a plastic trash bag along with your regular household trash. Reminder: trash bags must be set out for collection in rigid trash cans.
If you have Montgomery County-provided trash collection service, you may place up to four paint cans out for collection at one time. [Please remember that trash cans must be under 45 pounds each, per County guidelines for household trash collection.] For more than four paint cans, please schedule a free special bulk collection. If you have privately-arranged trash service, please contact your hauler for more information.

Look up whether you have County-provided or private service
The paint can you put into your trash will actually get recycled: Household trash is processed in the County's Resource Recovery Facility. There, it is incinerated, and the dried paint burns off of the metal can. Steel (including paint cans!) and other ferrous metals are recovered from the remaining ash, and are sent to metal processors for recycling.

The best ways to manage oil-based paint are to "Use it up! Pass it on!"
If reuse is not possible, then oil-based paint should always be disposed of at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection site. The solvents in oil-based paint are flammable, and the resins, solvents, pigments, and additives can be toxic when breathed or touched.

USE IT UP!

Small amounts of paint can be mixed with other colors or bulked together and used as a primer coat or on jobs where the final finish is not critical.
Avoid creating waste at the start. Buy only what you need. One gallon of paint will cover between 250 and 350 square feet, depending on the porosity of the surface to be covered. A gallon of paint will cover closer to 250 square feet of surfaces that are more porous.
Paint Use Calculator (link courtesy of the King County, WA, Local Hazardous Waste Program)

PASS IT ON!

Donate unopened cans of paint. Many schools, religious groups, community groups, and theater groups will accept unopened cans of paint, especially white paint. Even a neighbor may need some extra paint. Also, check your paint store's policy on returning unopened cans of paint.

Shady Grove Solid Waste Transfer Station

The Household Hazardous Waste receiving area at the Transfer Station is located in the recycling drop-off section of the Public Unloading Area.
16101 Frederick RdDerwood, MD 20855Map and directions
Please use the Car Entrance to the facility.
open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday - Saturday) – no need to wait for special monthly collection events! Household Hazardous Waste can only be received during these hours -- please do not drop off this material at other times.
These hours are only for residents.

All information above courtesy of the Montgomery County website:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/swstmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/solidwaste/index.asp


Happy Disposing!