Manassas, VA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/31/2018 --The City of Leesburg has reminded business and homeowners not to dispose of liquid latex paint, according to a statement by the City Department of Public Works. This reminder comes shortly after a messy accident occurred in the city when one resident improperly disposed of several cans of unused paint.

The incident happened while a rear-loading garbage truck was collecting waste from a residential neighborhood, according to city officials. They report that a local homeowner disposed of several cans of paint by dropping them into the regular curbside container without solidifying the contents first. When the trash was dumped into the back of the truck and the compactor began crushing the contents, the paint cans exploded under pressure. Authorities report that no one was hurt, but splashes of orange paint contaminated the rear of the truck, much of the street around the vehicle and workers, who were reportedly covered with the hazardous material.

Disposing of Paint in a Dumpster Rental in VA

Nearly every community in Virginia considers liquid latex paint a hazardous material, according to the Leesburg Public Works authorities. As a result, neither the city nor private collectors like ESI Waste are allowed to pick it up unless it's been rendered safe prior to their arrival.

City experts advise that solid latex paint is not treated as a hazard, since when it's in this form it can't splash or contaminate surfaces. Once the paint has been hardened, it is safe to collect normally or to dispose of in a dumpster rental in VA.

To solidify paint, experts recommend thickening the fluid with some kind of inert bonding agent. This can be a commercial paint thickener, which is often available at hardware stores, or generic clay-based kitty litter. To thicken the paint, add the litter slowly and stir until it's completely suspended in the paint. Keep adding litter or thickener until you can no longer stir the contents of the can, then let it sit overnight to harden. Residents are advised that this process adds significant bulk to the contents of the paint cans, so an extra container might be needed to hold it all.

The city warns that oil-based paint does not harden in this way. Leesburg officials state that oil paints remain hazardous until rendered safe at a processing plant and therefore cannot be safely collected. Residents are encouraged to deliver hazardous waste such as this to designated local facilities.

Your Dumpster Rental in VA

ESI Waste is happy to collect hardened latex paint, provided it complies with all of Virginia's laws relating to the disposal of solid waste. Call for a free consultation or for advice regarding what can and cannot be safely disposed of with a dumpster rental in VA.