Got paint?

Leftover paint is the most common material residents bring to their community household hazardous waste collection facilities and events. The cost of leftover paint is not cheap – for either the resident – or for the programs that accept and manage leftover paint. Learn how to save money and avoid leftover paint with these tips.

Buy the Right Amount

Buy the right amount of paint for your job.

Many people have leftover paint because it’s not always easy to know how much paint to purchase in the first place. Tip: Plan.  When estimating how much paint you need, measure the space you plan to paint and bring your measurements to the paint store and ask staff for expert advice on how much paint to buy. You can also use a paint calculator. Try www.paintcare.org/paint-calculators.

If you do buy too much, store it properly so it can be used it for future projects.

Storage Tips

Here are a few tips to properly store your paint.

Protect the Lids:  When opening a paint can, use a paint key instead of a typical screwdriver or other tool. Screwdrivers will bend, distort, or otherwise damage the lid, making it difficult to put back on. When putting the lid back on the can, tap it with a rubber mallet. If you don’t have a mallet, place a piece of wood or a book between a hammer and the lid and then carefully tap it down.

Keep the Rim Clean:  If you wipe the edge of your brush on the rim of a paint can, you will end up with a rim full of accumulated paint. If you use up all the paint, that’s not a problem. But if you want to reseal the can and save it for later, you will have trouble getting the lid on tight. Follow these tips to keep the rim clean and clear:

1. Poke holes in the rim with a medium size nail or awl so that paint drips back into the can and doesn’t accumulate in the rim.
2. While you are working and using a brush, pour paint from the original can into a paint tray. This will also allow you to close the original can while you are working and keep air from drying out the paint.
3. Try securely strapping a rubber band around the top of the paint can. This can be used to clean the edge of a paint brush, making a more efficient painting experience.
4. Cover the opening with a piece of plastic wrap before putting on the lid. The plastic will act as a gasket, creating a tighter seal.

Keep The Paint from Freezing:  Water-based paint labels normally read “keep from freezing,” but did you know that paint may still be usable even after it freezes once or twice? If you can stir paint into a smooth consistency, it’s still good. If it freezes and thaws several times, its condition will worsen each time. If you stir paint and it stays lumpy and doesn’t get smooth, it’s spoiled.

Keep Out of the Rain or Damp Locations:  When cans get wet, they rust, and the labels fall off. Even plastic cans have metal lids that can rust. Rusty cans and lids make a mess and fall apart when handled. The rust may fall into the paint, making it unusable. If the label falls off, you won’t know what type of paint or color is in the can. Keep your paint dry.

Keep the cans rust free.

Use it up!

Another way to manage your leftover paint is to use up what you have. A gallon or more can be used as a primer for other paint projects. A small amount can be used to paint a small space or experiment with updating a window frame or freshening up a bookshelf.

If you still have paint leftover, consider giving it away if it is in good condition. Friends, relatives, community groups and artists may be able to benefit from this useful resource.

These are just a few tips to reduce the amount of paint you buy in the first place, and to make the paint you do have, last longer. As a last resort, please properly dispose of your leftover paint at your community household hazardous waste collection program.

Leaves Are Not Litter

The leaves are starting to fall. This means your lawn care instincts are kicking in, urging you to get out there and clean them up ASAP. But before you start mowing, blowing, and shredding, there are some great reasons to do otherwise.

Free mulch

Free mulch, beautiful fall colors

Using wood mulch can be pricey and time consuming. So, why not use what nature provides for free? In the past we were told that leaves, matted down by snow or rain, would have a negative impact on plants. However, science has proven you can pile them in your gardens and around your trees and shrubs with no ill effect. A thick layer of leaves provides valuable organic matter, additional insulation against bitter cold weather, and the same weed suppression and moisture retention properties of shredded wood mulch. Plus, you can’t beat leaves for fall color!

Your yard = habitat

One of the best things you can do to support pollinators and helpful insects is to provide them with needed winter cover in the form of fall leaves and standing dead plant material. A vast majority of pollinators (bees, butterflies and moths) overwinter in the landscape as an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult. There are many other types of invertebrates that also call leaves home: spiders, snails, worms, beetles, millipedes, mites, and more. All these insects support the chipmunks, turtles, birds, and amphibians that rely on them for food. And pollinators are also key to growing crops that humans rely of for food.

While many homeowners opt for mulching their leaves on their lawn or shredding them for use in compost piles, shredded/mulched leaves will not provide the same cover as leaving them whole, and you may be destroying helpful insects along with the leaves.

If you have a spare corner in your yard, consider creating a leaf pile and allowing it to break down naturally. Or add leaves gradually to your compost pile over time. Such efforts will help keep beneficial insects safe.

A beautiful reason to leave the leaves alone!

I’m still buried in leaves!

So, you’ve saved all the leaves you can and still have a bunch left? Then you may need to mulch or send them offsite.

Late spring cleanup

If you decide to clean up the garden and remove the leaves in spring, make sure you wait until late in the season so as not to destroy all the life you’ve helped protect. A good rule of thumb is: if it is time to regularly mow your lawn, it’s probably a safe bet that most pollinators have emerged.

Tired of lawn maintenance?

There are many great alternatives that are healthier for your family, pocketbook, and the environment:

• Food Not Lawns
• Grow Native!
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Always check with your city to ensure your alternative landscaping plan meets city codes.

Recycle your old smoke detectors

The average smoke detector’s lifespan is 10 years, but when that time is up, what’s the best way to dispose of it? While it is legal to dispose of smoke detectors in a landfill—they are not classified hazardous waste—a better option is to recycle them.

What detector type do you have?

There are four types of smoke detectors available for consumer purchase:

• Ionization – The most common type of smoke detector, ionization smoke detectors are quicker at sensing flaming, fast moving fires. This type of detector uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize air in an internal sensing chamber. When smoke particles enter the chamber, the conductivity of the chamber air will decrease. When this reduction in conductivity is reduced to a predetermined level, the alarm is set off.
• Photoelectric – Photoelectric smoke detectors are quicker than ionizing detectors at sensing smoldering fires. A photoelectric detector consists of a light emitting diode and a light sensitive sensor located in a sensing chamber. The presence of suspended smoke particles in the chamber scatters the light beam. This scattered light is detected by the light sensitive sensor which sets off the alarm.
• Dual-sensor – Dual-sensor smoke detectors combine ionization and photoelectric technology in one detector.
• Combination smoke/CO – These types of detectors can detect both smoke and carbon monoxide. Depending on the type of smoke detector in this combination, they may or may not contain radioactive material.

You can look at the back of your smoke detector to determine which type you have.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that consumers purchase both photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors or a dual-sensor alarm.

How often should I replace my detector?

The NFPA recommends consumers replace smoke detectors when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested. The NFPA also recommends you replace smoke alarms when you move into a new home if you do not know their age. Check the expiration date on your smoke detector the next time you replace the batteries.

Why not just throw it in the trash?

Most in-home smoke detectors are the ionizing type. When thrown in the trash, the radioactive component can be damaged during collection and processing leading to radioactive exposure. Both ionizing and photoelectric detectors have printed circuit boards which contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury.

Recycling options

Both Midwest Recycling Center (drop off, fees apply) and Curie Environmental Services (mail back) accept all brands of smoke detectors for recycling. Some brands offer mail-back recycling services for their brands only. If there’s no return information on your detector, contact the manufacturer directly. Fees are usually charged for shipping and handling. You can find manufacturer contact information on the back of the detector.

Recycle old batteries at either the Midwest Recycling Center or your local HHW program.

How are they recycled?

Plastic and metal components are separated and recycled. The radioactive component is shipped for final disposal at a licensed radioactive waste facility.

Better to repair than replace

Ever had a household item break only to be told “it would be cheaper to replace it than fix it”? It’s become a mantra of our twenty-first century consumer culture. Unfortunately, it’s an MO that runs completely counter to waste reduction. The amount of energy and resources consumed and pollution created to replace an item far outweighs that of repairing it. So why has it become nearly impossible to get something fixed, and what are some ways to change that?

You have the right to repair

The “right to repair” is the right to fix a device yourself or have someone other than the manufacturer do the work for you. The concept got started within the automotive industry back in 2012 when Massachusetts passed the country’s first Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act. The act required automobile manufacturers to provide the necessary documents and information to allow anyone to repair their vehicles.

Inspired by this, The Repair Association was founded in 2013 to transfer this concept to electronics. Many electronics manufacturers had instituted systems whereby the only means to repair a device or obtain repair parts would be through one of their authorized vendors or original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

The practice of requiring consumers to go to the manufacturer for repairs has generally been criticized as anti-competitive.

Repair has its day and café

International Repair Day is organized by the Open Repair Alliance, an international group including Fixit Clinic (United States), The Repair Cafe Foundation (Netherlands), The Restart Project (UK), iFixit, and Anstiftung Foundation (Germany). This day highlights the value of repair and promotes global community efforts to fix the stuff we own.

A repair café is a meeting organized by and for local residents where people repair household items. The objectives are to reduce waste, maintain repair skills and to strengthen community. Repair cafés are held at a fixed location where tools, materials and volunteers are available to help. The Repair Café Foundation supports local groups around the world in setting up their own repair cafés.

Green Works in Kansas City hosted a Repair Cafe & Open House this past October in Midtown Kansas City, Mo. This event focused on bicycle, clothing, jewelry, furniture, lamp and tool repair.

Who fixes what in Kansas City?

There are local repair options for many types of items. A few high-demand categories include electronics, clothing, shoes and furniture. When searching online for a local repair service, be as specific as possible: furniture repair Kansas City, shoe repair Overland Park, etc.

Repair it yourself

In recent years, the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement has gone viral. Repairing something yourself can save money and increase skills and knowledge which you can then pass on to others. It starts by simply going online and typing: do it yourself (item name here) repair.

For more information on other ways to reduce waste, visit Beyond Recycling: Reduce and Reuse.

A prescription for proper disposal

Nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug regularly, and more than half take two, according to the Mayo Clinic. That translates to a large amount of leftover pills and prescription bottles that eventually have to go somewhere. In the Kansas City area, there are many safe disposal options.

Lock ‘em up

When you’re putting household chemicals like wasp spray and weed killer in a locked cabinet out of the reach of children and pets, don’t forget to do the same with your prescription drugs. Medications are every bit as dangerous, and child safety caps can fail. Also, since many drugs like opioids are addictive, you don’t want them getting in the wrong hands.

The best way to dispose

The best way to dispose of most types of old, unused, unwanted, or expired medicines (both prescription and over the counter) is to drop them off at a drug takeback location or event as soon as possible. Many pharmacies and police stations offer a free public drop box, no questions asked. To find the nearest location, visit RecycleSpot.org and use “Prescriptions” as your search term.  

The next best way to dispose

If for some reason there are no drug takeback options available where you live, medications can be disposed in the trash. Follow these simple steps:

1. Mix medicines (liquid or pills; do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds.
2. Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag.
3. Throw the container in the trash.

Do not flush!

Never flush medicines down the toilet or put them down any drain in your house. Water treatment facilities cannot fully remove all medications from wastewater. Your medications can have a detrimental effect on the people, plants and animals that live downstream.

Be sharp about sharps

Medical sharps, such as needles, syringes, lancets and injection pens, are not recyclable. To protect sanitation workers or anyone who handles your trash, they should be put into a tightly closed, puncture-resistant container such as a detergent bottle. Or, you can search online for mail-back programs.

Donate empty prescription bottles

Most people think that prescription bottles should be recyclable since they’re plastic containers and often have the #5 resin code imprinted on the bottom. Unfortunately, they’re not recyclable in the Kansas City area because they are classified as “smalls” by the recycling industry. Smalls are any items 2” X 2” — about the size of a credit card — or smaller that do not make it through the automated recycling processes at material recovery facilities and thus end up in the trash. 

The following organizations accept prescription bottles for donation. Before donating them, make sure bottles are clean, and that all personal information has been removed. Always call before donating.

• Chain of Hope – Mail to: PO Box 16926, Kansas City, MO 64133
• KC Pet Project – 4400 Raytown Rd., Kansas City, MO 64129
• Kitty City Kansas – 12800 Santa Fe Trail Dr., Lenexa, KS 66215
• Matthew 25: Ministries – Mail to: 11060 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH  45242
• Spay and Neuter Kansas City – 1116 E. 59th St., Kansas City, MO 64110
• Unleashed Pet Rescue – 5918 Broadmoor, Mission, KS 66202
• Veterinary Center of Liberty – 1127 W. Kansas St., Liberty, MO 64068