Here are some pollution prevention hints for painters. Inventory Management Reduce the number of different products you use for the same purpose. Rotate your stock to use oldest materials first so shelf life is not exceeded. Purchase paint in bulk to decrease the number of paint cans that require disposal. Large bulk containers are usually returnable.
Scrape paint containers with a spatula to make sure they are completely empty.
Solvent Use Clean your equipment immediately after use so coating residue cannot build up and harden. Flush equipment first with dirty solvent then rinse clean with virgin solvent. Reuse flushing and rinsing solvents by adding them to spray gun washers. Also, use them for thinning, where appropriate. Dispose of solvent when it loses its cleaning effectiveness, not just because it looks dirty.