Hazardous wastes such as paints, thinners and solvents are banned from landfills and must not be discharged to stormwater or sewerage systems. In recent years, the Automotive industry has been moving towards using waterborne paints for spray painting, which are more environmentally friendly, safer for employees to use and easier to dispose of than solvent-based paints.
Reduce
Try to reduce the amount of materials coming into your business by keeping the smallest practical quantity on-site. This will reduce the amount of waste you need to store and dispose of. Maintaining environmentally friendly parts washers may also reduce solvent use.
Recycling and Reuse
Solvents can be recycled using a purpose-built machine that distils and cleans solvents, making them suitable for reuse. Acetone and paint thinners can be recycled this way. If your business has not recently looked at solvent recycling, consider this option as the cost of solvents is increasing and the technology has come a long way in the past 30 years.
Disposal
If you have hazardous waste, you are responsible for ensuring that it is appropriately stored and collected or transported to a suitably licensed waste facility. If you are not recycling and reusing paints, thinners and solvents in your business, appoint an appropriately licensed contractor to collect and recycle or dispose of the materials for you. Refer to Business Recycling for a list of service providers.
Penalties
Improper disposal of paints, thinners and solvents has the potential to harm the environment. There are significant penalties that may apply to a business or individual who causes environmental harm.
Further Information
The MTA is dedicated to assisting with all your environmental needs, including advising which business/s may be able to assist you with your environmental requirements.
For more information on improving your business’s environmental performance, please contact the WR team below.
