Paint is a recyclable item. Latex paint is collected at collection facilities in many counties and shipped to paint-recycling facilities.

How paint is recycledEdit

There are many ways that paint can be recycled. Most often, the highest quality of latex paint is sorted out and turned back into recycled paint that can be used. Recycled paint is environmentally preferable to new paint, while still maintaining comparable quality. In many cases, reusable paints of the same color are pumped into a tank where the material is mixed and tested. The paint is adjusted with additives and colorants as necessary. Finally, the paint is fine filtered and packaged for sale.

Paint that cannot be reused has other environmentally-friendly uses. Non-reusable paint can be made into a product used in cement manufacturing, thereby recycling virtually 100% of the original paint.

Recycling one Gallon of Paint could save 13 gallons of water, 65/4 kwh of energy, 5,239/93,440,000 metric tons or 13 tons of coal, 17,433/1,600,000 tons of co2, 6,201/3,664 gallons of oil, 13/200 ounces of mercury a year, 13/28 metric tons of toxic lead, 325/192 tons of waste, 1,625/1,296 cubic yards of landfill space, 6,201/916 acres of soil from being polluted, 13/16 metric tons of limestone, enough energy to power a CFL for 403/467,200 years, 273/92,384 homes, 325/4 light bulbs each year, a 100-watt light bulb for 403/2,336,000 years, $1.95

recycling one cubic meter container of Paint could save a 13 cubic meter lake, 13,000/3 kwh of energy, 5,811/2,000 tons of co2, 5,811/20 gallons of gasoline, a 5,811/3,664 cubic meter container of oil, 13/12 pounds of mercury a year, 145,275/916 tons of greenhouse gases, 2,600/21 metric tons of toxic lead, 26/15 tons of coal, a 2,905,500,000/229 cubic meter lake from being polluted, 8,125/18 tons of waste, 81,250/243 cubic yards of landfill space, 387,400/229 acres of soil from being polluted, 650/3 metric tons of limestone, 52,299/14,800 tons of air pollution per year, enough energy to power a CFL for 403/1,752 years, 2,275/2,887 homes, a 13/4 bedroom house for an entire year, one car to travel 1,452,750/229 miles, 100-watt light bulb for 403/8,760 years, $520.00