How to I dispose of pigment?

June 14, 2005 1:45 PM

Help me dispose of pigment! (In the most environmental way possible).

I moved into a new apartment a little over a year ago and there was some jars of pigment left behind by the previous tenant. Having had conversations with said tenant prior to moving in I do know that these particular jars were used to print on fabric (t-shirts specifically). Unfortunately, I never got a forwarding address so I have not been able to contact them about this problem.

Not really knowing much about the practise and/or the tools involved, I'm am a little unsure of how to dispose of this stuff properly. I would appreciate any helpful suggestions and advice, I want it out of here! Thanks.

posted by purephase to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 answers total)

Looks like these people might come pick it up from you [assuming you're still in Toronto] give them a call. Or, check this chart to see if there's a drop-off center near you. The Googleable term is "household hazardous waste" which covers a pretty wide range of stuff, including paints.
posted by jessamyn at 1:54 PM on June 14, 2005

wow -- is it textile ink? How many jars do you have? Do they still look usable?

I might be interested in taking them off your hands/paying shipping, etc.
posted by fishfucker at 2:37 PM on June 14, 2005

I'd check the yellow pages looooong before AskMe, looking up "recyclers", "recycling", "hazardous waste", and "disposal". Surely there's a paint/drugs/petrochemicals recycling depot in your area.
posted by five fresh fish at 3:08 PM on June 14, 2005

If it's usable, donate them to a local school. I'm sure the art department would put it to good use. Much better than tossing the stuff.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:41 PM on June 14, 2005

If fishfucker isn't interested I'd bet an ad in craigslist would get you someone willing to come pick it all up.
posted by phearlez at 3:48 PM on June 14, 2005

I have no idea if it's usable or not, how could I tell?

I would have contacted hazardous waste disposal but I was unsure of whether this qualified as it doesn't make any mention of this material on their website. Also, they require that the containers have proper labels on them whereas these jars do not (no label's at all).

I'll call them tomorrow anyway to see if they can give me any more information.
posted by purephase at 3:49 PM on June 14, 2005

if it is just dry pigment (in jars?) it's most likely usable. and expensive, which is why you're seeing volunteers (like me!) who would be interested in taking it off your hands.
posted by judith at 4:09 PM on June 14, 2005

It's not dry pigment, it's been mixed with base and that's what is stored in the jars (at least, that's what it looks like).

I would assume that there are some sort of storage requirements and if that's the case, I haven't done anything in the year that I've lived here to make sure they are stored properly.

Would it still be alright? I'm not sure when it was made/purchased etc.
posted by purephase at 6:45 PM on June 14, 2005

Environmentally friendly in this case most likely means dilution in water and release to your Publicly Owned treatment Works (that is, down the drain). You could look up a similar Chemical Abstract via Google for reassurance if need be.
posted by sled at 6:55 PM on June 14, 2005

yeah, if it's mixed with base then "usable" would mean that if you touched it you'd come away with paint on your hands -- ie, still wet. If it's dried out it's probably smoked, although it might just be crusted over.
posted by fishfucker at 6:58 PM on June 14, 2005

i've had jars of textile ink in a hot/cold garage for about two years and they still work fine. As long as they were tightly sealed, they *should* be ok.
posted by fishfucker at 7:00 PM on June 14, 2005

Hint from Heloise: storing jars upside down can prevent drying out.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:11 PM on June 14, 2005 [1 favorite]

I've checked some of the jars and based on your advice, some it may still be alright. fff, I was never interested in keeping it to begin with, it was a gift-of-sorts. ;)

fishfucker, if you're still interested, drop me an email (in my profile). judith also expressed interest, but you were first.

Everyone else, thanks for the help/suggestions.
posted by purephase at 10:17 AM on June 15, 2005