Article by Hanna Granlund – Intercult
Many artists have asked themselves “Which materials and tools are environmentally friendly to use?” and “Is there even such a thing as environmentally sustainable art?”
These are big questions that often arise at the beginning of an artistic project. A more common everyday problem, on the other hand, is what to do with the waste materials and leftovers you have at the end of your working day.
It is tempting to simply do whatever is the quickest, cheapest, or most convenient for yourself. In addition, the opportunities to dispose of these materials in a safe way differs from region to region, as many disposal methods require larger facilities and infrastructure. However, there are things you can do yourself that require minimal effort, and in return you contribute to a healthier, more beautiful environment around you. Personal health and environmental health are closely linked, so gaining competence in handling hazardous materials can improve your working conditions and your own long-term health. Here we present some tips for handling paint waste!
Paints and paint-cleaners
All paints and paint-cleaners are classified as hazardous waste! This is because of the large variety of chemicals found in paints. For example, some paints contain pigments with harmful qualities. One of these is cadmium, which has been of particular interest for artists in the sustainability debate. Cadmium has been linked to kidney problems and osteoporosis, and thus it has been outlawed in many products. Today, one of the main sources of cadmium contamination in Swedish wastewater comes from artist paints, as some aquarelle paints can contain up to 50% pure cadmium. Paint cleaners often contain chemical substances that affect animals and plants in harmful ways.
Paints
Use paints made without toxic pigments like cadmium and focus on paints with non-toxic binders like glue, linseed oil, egg or casein. Avoid solvent-based paints, which are sometimes also called oil-based paints and can be recognised by their strong odour and their tendency to separate into components if left alone for a longer time period. Focus on using water-based paints which can also be cleaned with regular water.
Paint cleaners
Use cloth and paper to remove as much paint as possible from the pencils. White spirit, turpentine and similar solvent cleaners can be collected in a jar and sent to a waste management facility. These solvents can also be found in paints, and they emit fumes which are dangerous to inhale, so use products containing them as sparingly as possible and always in a well-ventilated space.
However, if you use water to clean the pencils you can de-toxify the water with a flocculant substance, like bauxite. If you mix 1 tablespoon bauxite powder with one litre of paint water, and then sieve the water through a coffee filter or similar, the purified water can be poured down the drain! The filter will retain all the chemicals that the paint contained. If this includes cadmium, or solvents like white spirit and turpentine, it should be treated as hazardous waste. Otherwise, you can toss it in the regular trash.
Last but not least: Ask questions about how your material affects the environment! Let manufacturers and retailers know that you care about these issues.
Source: https://konstnarernas.se/dokument/h-llbar-konst.pdf
