How Damaging is Paint to an Eco-Friendly Toronto – See its Environmental Impact
A fresh coat of paint is a great way to freshen up the look of a space, be it an office or home. Naturally, it’s common to come up with some left-over paint after you’re done the job. Unfortunately, this left-over paint does not always get disposed of safely.
Before we delve into the environmental impact of paint in Toronto, there’s a 3-point rule that deserves mention. The first rule is to buy only the amount of paint you need. The second is to use the paint you buy. The third is to dispose of any leftover paint in the safest manner possible. You will have to calculate exactly how much you need, which is something some retailers can help with.
In disposing of paint in an eco-friendly way, if possible, re-purposing the paint or keeping it for future touch-ups is the easiest way to go about it. Lighter colors, for example, can sometimes be used as primers. Don’t be afraid to be creative with how you repurpose your paint. You just may be helping keep our Earth looking all the more spectacular, natural, and protected.
The most eco-friendly disposal of paint is to bring it to any of the recycling locations in Toronto or wherever you may be in Ontario. The province has more than 400 total locations that accept paint, including some retail stores and municipal depots. There are also regular events held annually where paint waste drop-off is encouraged.
When disposing of paint, remember to keep it in its original container and to ensure it’s properly sealed. Do not mix different paint types together as a lot of recycling depots won’t accept substances that have been mixed. A lot of these pick-up locations also have limits on how much paint one can bring. The current limits on paint recycling in Ontario allows a citizen to bring maximum 10 containers or 50 spray cans.
Paints accepted in Ontario recycling programs include any water-based or oil-based interior or exterior paints, empty paint cans, deck and floor coating, varnish and urethane, concrete and masonry paint, drywall paint, undercoats and primers, stucco paint, wood finishing oil, anti-rust paint, swimming pool paint, stain blocking paint, textured paint, block filler, wood preservatives, and any water repellants.
Unfortunately, there are several paints that are not recycled in Ontario and which make only waste. When possible, these shouldn’t be used although, as you’ll find, their use is necessary in some cases. The paints which aren’t able to be recycled in Toronto include any paints or preservatives registered as an official pesticide, paint thinner or solvents, industrial paints, automotive paint, two-part or component paints, traffic or line-marking paint, deck cleaners, colorants and tints, caulking compounds, stucco compounds, waxes and polishes, caulks and sealants, craft and artistic paint, any containers that are unlabelled or improperly sealed, paint contained in rusty or leaking cans, and any tainted with household chemicals.
The paint we throw away has several consequences, creating hazardous waste that our community doesn’t necessarily need. Calculate as best as you can, use and repurpose what you can, and any paint that you do purchase should ideally be a type that can be recycled. As recycling in Toronto advances in the years to come, it’s our hope that there will be more elimination of non-recyclable paint.
