Paint Recycling and Stewardship

April 2006: Saskatchewan launched the Saskatchewan Paint Stewardship Program. Now, you can take your leftover paint to any SARCAN depot in Saskatchewan during their regular hours. See the Product Care website for all the details on how and where to recycle paint in Saskatchewan!

For more details, see our Stewardship in Canada page.

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It's painting season. All those fences, decks and other projects require a coating to protect them from the elements and (maybe) to add colour.

Paint is a durable product. Oil paint can last up to 15 years and latex can be usable up to 10 years if it hasn't been frozen and thawed several times.

So whether it is from a current project or a long-past one, chances are our garages and basements have a stockpile of paint products.

Is this a problem? Does it matter what happens to paint? Yes. Paint does have toxic properties and is considered part of the broader category of household hazardous wastes.

Paint is a mixture of pigment (5-25%) and solvent (75-95%). The type of pigment and solvent in the paint determines how toxic it is. Oil-based paint contains organic solvents (mineral spirits, toluene, xylene...). Solvents can be flammable, toxic, or pose a serious health risk through skin absorption and inhalation. Some health hazards occur immediately. Others, such as liver and kidney problems, birth defects, and nervous disorders, occur slowly over time.

During normal use, solvents escape into the environment where they contribute to smog-producing air pollutants. If disposed of improperly, solvents can contribute to groundwater pollution.

Latex paint uses water as a solvent and is less toxic. Indoor latex paint is not toxic unless it is ingested in large quantities. Exterior latex paint may contain a mercury pesticide to prevent mildew that is very toxic if it is ingested.

Paint typically makes up at least 50% of household hazardous wastes. While household hazardous wastes are usually less than one percent of the total municipal waste stream, their ability to harm both humans and the environment means that they deserve special attention.

Whether there is a recycling program available or not, individual consumers can take action to reduce the amount of waste paint (after all, reduction is the first of the 3Rs). The best advice is to USE IT UP! Try to buy the right amount of paint for the job. (See also our "Tips for Reducing Paint Use") Give leftovers away or use them as base coats for other projects where feasible. Choose less-toxic alternatives, like latex and other water-based products. Not only are they less hazardous, but clean-up is much simpler as well.

(Source: WasteWatch, June 2003)

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