How to Easily Recycle Acrylic Paint Waste Water

[@ChrisBreier]

What do you do with your acrylic paint wastewater? 🖌 Take the poll in my KZbin community kzbin.infoUgkxyCLz8OSKqiSa46AYte_j1aNSmwz2c03r?si=LblHVHka9WVCJLTw

[@Xeroxorex]

Phenomenal PSA, especially because you tell us what the chemicals are, so we're not locked into that brand.

[@ChrisBreier]

Thanks! Golden has an article on their site about how to do this yourself which includes a list of supplies and vendors. You'll need a dust mask because the chemicals are either in powdered or granular form.

[@jutta3378]

Thank you Chris, what a brilliant idea! I was just thinking the other day that there are environmental issues with a lot of art materials, especially oil paint and acrylics and the mediums that go with these materials. Excellent video!

[@lilibette13]

Also thanks for the water saving tips. 👍🏻 Nice!

[@PancakeMilly]

Wow that's actually really cool! I always feel guilty pouring the wastewater down the drain, I didn't know recycling it was possible

[@LeftBrainedArtist]

This was AWESOME. I need to do something like this for my viewers.

[@lilibette13]

I use this system and I really like it. Thanks for making it known!

[@ChrisBreier]

I wish I would have found it sooner!

[@Christopher_Giustolisi]

I don´t use acrylic paint but that Masterson rinse well is still great

[@ChrisBreier]

I was skeptical about it at first but it's great being able to have clear water whenever I want without having to make a trip to the sink. I even like I like how it makes gurgling sounds as it refills with water.🙂 Do you use it for watercolor?

[@Christopher_Giustolisi]

@@ChrisBreier I use it for water color and gouache. It has been a game changer. Always having clean water is so nice.

[@DistractedDaisy]

I wonder is vinegar and sodium bicarbonate would also get a similar result? I have coffee filters and a cheap dollar colander? I really like the idea of clearing the water before it goes back for reclamation or disposal and saving my pipes are not a bad idea either! I also notice that Golden sells a refill pack! You just keep reusing the colander and bucket! One thing about all the crafts that people do is the waste! That keeps me from being more creative, this would certainly encourage me to create more with less impact to the environment!

[@ChrisBreier]

I have no idea if vinegar would work. If you want to make your own kit, Golden has an article on their site that lists all of the supplies and vendors that carry them. I'm not sure if it would be cheaper in the end. I try to keep waste down to a minimum too. I created a playlist of the different ways that I store leftover paint. kzbin.info/aero/PLJWwgoBXxzb0NJNLJlD1Xw0Q6YO_nZxXU

[@AlexYorim]

I don't have any of those chemicals that could break down the acrylics. What's the more budget friendly while also environmental friendly method of disposal?

[@ChrisBreier]

If you live in a dry climate you can collect the water and let the water evaporate off. You're left with a dry skin of acrylic that you can peel off and throw out, or incorporate it into your art. It's too humid where I live to make that practical. Some people fill a bucket with kitty litter and pour the wastewater into it. Once the kitty litter dries, you can dispose of it in the trash.

[@AlexYorim]

@ChrisBreier 👍🏽

[@sandradonofrio413]

Thank you.

[@leam1978]

i'm really confused by this. if you throw the filter containing the evaporated paint away, it also ends up in the water table, like everything you bring to the dump. why not take the liquid paint to the dump in the first place and not create additional waste with yet another product?

[@ChrisBreier]

At 4:42 I mentioned that you want to let the paint dry in the filter so that the pigment is basically encased in acrylic plastic. That way the pigments should stay put, it's like throwing out a dry acrylic painting. If you dumped the wet paint into the dump it would leach into the water....that's how I understand it anyways. Mark Golden has a good article on their site where he talks about how Golden was started in a barn and they had to find a way to process the wastewater, especially since they used a well for drinking water.

[@leam1978]

@ when you take paint to the dump, it doesn’t get thrown on the pile, they have special handling procedures to minimize the impact on waste water. Good on Golden that they have specific reclamation techniques, though i would caution because they work in bulk and their techniques might not necessarily apply to individual artists. Something that just occurred to me: if you’re also a sculptor, dried waste paint could be stored inside other art pieces, like paper mache, or even embedded on the back of a canvas.

[@soarpurpose]

Acrylic paints are basically pigmented plastics. Not great environmentally but I think oils are more toxic with the solvents.

[@ChrisBreier]

I agree that it's the solvents that make oils more toxic but there are solvent free oil painting techniques. Without the solvents, oils can be as safe as acrylics or maybe even safer-acrylics can contain small amounts of ammonia or even formaldehyde. The linseed oil is basically a vegetable oil and there are brands that don't contain any solvents. I find that water mixable oils work rather well.

[@soarpurpose]

@ChrisBreier well technically (chemistry) water is a solvent. Wondering if the wash up is worse with anything containing oil. One of the biggest contributors to blocked sewage pipes is fats/oils.

[@harisraza9276]

Ain't nobody got time for that !

[@ChrisBreier]

It doesn't actually take that long and it's something that you can do while you're painting. You basically stir in two solutions and pour it through a filter. The rest of it is just waiting around.

[@devandestudios128]

Oh hell no. I'll just pour it out in the dirt. Or better yet, not paint with acrylic at all. I am not about to go through all that just to make water safer to pour down a drain.

[@ChrisBreier]

The actual work doesn't take very long. You basically stir in two solutions, and pour it through a filter. The rest of it is just waiting around so this is something you can do while you're working on a painting. I don't recommend dumping the wastewater into the ground though because some paints contain toxic materials such as cadmium, cobalt etc. and that ends up in the soil and groundwater.

[@cosmicfxx]

Sooooo ... your video is only for anyone whom has bought this kit!

[@ChrisBreier]

You can buy all of the components separately if you wanted. The kit just makes it easier than having to find and buy all of the components separately.. Plus the liquid solution in the kit are easier to work with than the powder.

[@ailrubylittlebird9884]

Not really useful for pet households. It is not safe to leave dirty water out around pets. I feel like you should have started with the brush cleaning not ended with it.

[@ChrisBreier]

I agree, it's best to not leave wastewater (or art supplies) in areas where pets can gain access to it. The gallon bucket comes with a lid that fits really tight. However I would probably store it (and the solutions) in a locked cabinet just to be safe.

[@lostvisitor]

@@ChrisBreier make sure the cabinet is in a vapor sealed room with multiple dead bolts and a steel door. Just to be safe.

[@ChrisBreier]

@@lostvisitor Huh?