Bring your old paint cans to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Every month, an average of 400 gallons of paint are processed at the Precinct 3 Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1122 Pruitt Road. According to Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack, paint is the most common hazardous material received from residential sources in Montgomery County.

It's vital to properly dispose of your old and half-used paints properly at the facility for environmental and safety reasons. The proper disposal of paint still in its liquid form helps keep drinking water clean and aquatic life healthy; improper disposal could have dire environmental and health risks associated with it.

The recycling process is complicated but easily handled by the HHW facility. To process the paint it receives, it must be sorted by type (water-based/latex, oil-based and spray paint), and poured together into large metal drums, referred to as “’bulking.”

For this reason, residents are encouraged to bring leftover paint in the original container, if possible, and to never mix different paints together for transport as this makes the process more difficult and more expensive.

Depending on the condition in which they are received, some latex paints are able to be re-blended for reuse. Oil-based paints are turned into fuel for industrial use, and cans of spray paint have the chemical propellant extracted and captured for disposal, keeping it out of the environment.

The Precinct 3 Household Hazardous Waste Facility can accept paints and other household chemicals from Montgomery County residents every Wednesday, and on the third Saturday of each month during normal operating hours. A fee of $10 is charged for every 5 gallons of material dropped off in order to offset the cost of processing and disposal. The website has a list of all acceptable materials.

For more details call 281-367-7283.