Porter County Recycling and Waste Reduction partnered with the City of Hobart to offer residents the opportunity to recycle their unwanted but usable latex paint. The paint is accepted at their household hazardous waste collection events or by taking the paint directly to the City of Hobart facility during office hours.
But wait! Before hauling paint cans across town, there are a few specific guidelines for recycled paint that must be met.
The paint gallon must be more than half full, still a liquid form, not corroded or rusted, and with the lid properly secured.
Cans smaller than one gallon, corroded or rusted, and gallon cans less than half full are not accepted. Paint that is older than a year, stored in unheated areas over the winter, or that has been frozen is also unacceptable.
If the paint you want to donate doesn’t meet the guidelines above, there are still other options! The paint can still be thrown away properly if it is dried fully and the lid and can are tossed separately.
Additionally, if your paint isn’t dry, it might take some time to complete the process. If the cans are mostly full, you may need to pour some of the paint into another container to decrease drying time. Another tip to expedite the drying process is to stir in non-clumping cat litter, dirt, or inexpensive paint drying products that you can purchase from a home improvement store.
One more thing! If you are planning on painting anytime soon, there is already recycled paint available from the City of Hobart. The color of the recycled paint is neutral grey/beige and can be used for any project inside or outside. The paint can act as a primer and is extremely affordable at $3 a gallon!
By purchasing recycled paint you are reusing something that could have ended up in a landfill and ultimately saving natural resources! This also acts as a way to decrease the demand for manufacturing new paint, and reducing the need of energy for those resources. Additionally, your purchase helps to make the intergovernmental agreement between Porter County Recycling and the City of Hobart a success!