The good news is there are several options for disposing/recycling water based paint.
Earth Paint Collection Systems acts as a central contact for latex
paint recycling. They can assist with finding locations currently accepting
Latex Paint throughout Lake County – Please call (847) 231-6044 for additional
information.
Please contact with your local Ace Hardware store – the majority of
locations do recycle latex paint. We encourage you to reach out to a few stores
in your surrounding community to find the less expensive option – The recycling
fee is typically $2.00 to $5.00 per the gallon (plus you don’t have to deal with
the mess!)
Or, as the last option, treat the latex paint for dispose through your regular garbage hauler. Take & Leave the lids off, pour clay cat litter, (or shredded paper, sand or sawdust) into the can, stir to the consistency of thick oatmeal (no longer in liquid form), leave the treated
paint cans outside your garbage can on your regular garbage pickup day (please don’t exceed 3-4 cans per week). The
added absorbent material helps bind the liquids together, reducing the possibility of
the paint splattering not only in the truck, but the roads and the vehicles
behind the hauler. If you're dealing with completely empty paint cans (no residual liquid at all), simply remove the lids and leave out as described above.
Another point worth mentioning: if the garbage hauler spots the
cans with the lids still on, they may assume no attempts to solidify the paint
were made and they may not take the paint cans. Focus on transparency!
Should
you find an oil based product, we do encourage you to schedule a visit to our
HCW Facility in Gurnee. OR keep an eye out for our HCW Mobile Events - we post
upcoming events on our home page at www.swalco.org
Thank you again for your dedication and efforts in keeping Lake County resources in check! Please call with any questions or comments - We're happy to help.
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