posted
Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but how does one get rid of thinner, brush cleaner, One Shot hardener, etc etc without pouring them down the drain or just tossing them in the garbage? Is there some way this stuff gets recycled?
-------------------- Mark Rogan The Great Barrington Sign Company 2 Stilwell Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230 mark@gbsignco.com
"Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of fonts" Posts: 332 | From: Great Barrington, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Mark, I have a #10 can full of thinner that I wash my brushes(quills) in. The paint sludge seems to settle to the bottom while the thinner turns yellow but is still clean enough for washing. When the sludge gets about an inch or two thick I strain the thinner into a new can. I set the other aside until it somewhat hardens(thickens) and then I throw it away. So, I never really throw any thinner away. I just sort of recycle it. Been doing this for about 8 years now. I use a little soup can for clean thinner for the final rinse. When it gets dirty it goes into the #10 can. You will notice some evaporation.
-------------------- Rob Larkham Sign Techniques Inc. Chicopee, Ma Posts: 607 | From: Chester, Ma. | Registered: Apr 2002
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Thats great Rob, evaporate thinners into the enviroment, kind of cheap isn't it? We may not notice it in our lifetime so what the hell.
Safety Kleen has a program that picks up thinners and all that waste, they even supply you with a container. I had them do my shop with a 55 gallon drum, and picked up only once per year.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
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Poluting the environment over here too, Actually I inhale them so as not polute the environment Joey. if I'm wacked enough I chug down a number 10 can of thinner on a good day.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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A big part of Safety-Kleen's main approach, like Rob's, is to filter, & recycle or re-use solvents thereby reducing the amount needing disposal. Although they are a large company offering to "dispose of hazardous waste according to State & local regulations" I would not assume that disposal "meeting regulations" necessarily means it is truly safe.
I'll give Oregon credit from probably being one of the most environmentally conscious States, but 55 gallons a year, if that's since 1952, I think you should try Rob's method.
*edit* BTW Joey, I think that is a great solution, probably better then most of us have in place & I'm just being a smartass because I'm running a 24 foot edge print & have some time to kill.
[ July 18, 2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Doug Allan ]
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Um, last thing I read on paint thinner disposal, was evaporation was the safest. Throwing it onto the ground or in the sewer in liquid state is a definate no no.
Without getting into the actual chemistry, many compounds are broken down into harmless lessor chemicals by the sun. Before I'd condemn evaporation as a method, I'd look into whether paint thinner is just such a chemical.
If you're worried about evaporating paint thinner into the air, we'd better stop using paint all together. The paint dries from evaporation of the thinners.
I too let the paint settle and reuse the thinner to clean brushes. The only stuff I evaporate out is the stuff I clean the brush oil out of the brushes.
Also, I only clean good lettering & striping brushes. I use disposables when ever possible. I've found I spend more time and thinner cleaning a brush than what a disposable brush or roller costs.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5400 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Mark, Back when I was printing shirts in Massachusetts, we had all the laquers and mineral spirits hauled out by a company not too far from your place. (Wish I could remember the name after 20 years)
In MA, there should be plenty of hazardous waste disposal companies listed. If you can't find one, check with offset and larger press companies to see if they can help.
Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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Around here we have a dump that and also local dump stations that all have an area for disposinmg of paint cans, insecticides, etc,. So I save the waste in a used spirits can and take it there. Also, I have a tall 5 gallon bucket that I put my used spray liquids in, and have in the past kept fence posts in there to soak for a few days....it helps make them last longer, burying them as deep as the treated area. However, I have quit using this method trying to be environmentally correct and all..........
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Doug, I just may have alot more common sense then you may think. Using materials that I believe deplete the enviroment in one way or another is a major concern to me. Filling a 55 gallon container with mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, acetone, brush conditioners and any other waste solvents I work with is easy for me to do in one year. I totally understand how one's reply is to save money, but I believe that money comes to those who make money come to them. In the past four days I made a grand net, and used about a half gallon of several different solvent components to complete my projects. Granted this isn't NY where I was almost working full time but its almost beginning to resemble NY.
I care about the enviroment as well as my enviroment and will spend whatever it takes to cleanup around me, as long as it interferes with the way I live. Taking the easy way out can cost more in the long run when the EPA shows up without an appointment.
Have a nice day
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
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I never questioned your "sense", but as far as "cents" goes, filtering & recycling solvents (when possible)has nothing to do with saving money... it has to do with "throwing away" less 55 gal. drums in a lifetime.
As we all know the EPA has found a lot of disposal sites that may have met regulations in the past, but are not really safe after all.
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stuff makes great FIRE ANT KILLER.....if you live in the south....you will understand!!!!
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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When I moved into the new shop it cost me $250.00 to dispose of 15 gallons of (mixed) thinners.
And I can remember when I was afraid of the IRS.
I also found out it is acceptable to let these thinners evaporate (in my area anyway). I now have a 5 gallon can at the back door that will evaporate away about 6 " in a day (100 degree day)...but even on a cool day 80 and under) it will do about 3" in a day.
Oh and...Keep a screen over it so the neighbor lady doesn't come after you for killing her cat.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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