Disposing of discharged ink

[InCharged Printer]

Just wondering how everyone is getting rid of the discharged ink that collects in the bottle? I have been pouring it into a bucket with a lid but Im just about full and I would like to dispose properly.

Thank you

 

[White Haus]

We've contacted a waste disposal/environmental company to try to properly dispose of our solvent/UV ink in the past. Their minimum was something like a 100 gal drum for around $250 (they drop off the drum, we fill up, they pick up when full) so for now we're just stock piling it until we're close to filling one.

 

[Gino]

What kinda ink ?? Latex, solvent, eco sol, vegetable..... ?? According to a lotta people on this forum, most of these inks are safe, so I imagine you could almost drink them or at least use them for a mixer.

Once a year, our local baseball stadium has a hazardous waste drive and they take anything up to a 55 gal drum of anything. No questions asked. They dispose of it legally.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Pour it into some clumping cat litter and wait until it dries. Then dump it in the trash. Essentially, they want the toxins to go into the air instead of the ground where it can contaminate ground water. Once the solvents evaporate, all you have is a bunch of cat litter and pigment.

 

[Gino]

Pour it into some clumping cat litter and wait until it dries. Then dump it in the trash. Essentially, they want the toxins to go into the air instead of the ground where it can contaminate ground water. Once the solvents evaporate, all you have is a bunch of cat litter and pigment.

If that's the case, then why do they say certain inks are eco friendly to the environment in situations like schools, hospitals and food places ?? Those inks have certainly dried and have gassed off and maybe even covered with a laminate. However, you cannot put just any ol' ink into those areas. So, if your waste canister is full of solvent or whatever non-conforming ink(s), isn't it still doing damage to the environment and/or air ??

I'm not starting an argument or trying to be obtuse, just what I've been told over the years. Years ago, when cleaning out a spray gun or whatnot, that scenario was true, but I've been told the inks are a different story. Kinda like taking the lead outta paint, I imagine.

 

[gabagoo]

Pour it into some clumping cat litter and wait until it dries. Then dump it in the trash. Essentially, they want the toxins to go into the air instead of the ground where it can contaminate ground water. Once the solvents evaporate, all you have is a bunch of cat litter and pigment.

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Why bother with kitty litter which makes more waste...how about just spreading it all in your dumpster and allow all the discarded backing paper , ruined prints and premask and coro bits absorb it..... I don't do that but curious as why we shouldn't as over a few days it will basically adhere to whatever is in there and dry out....

 

[Solventinkjet]

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Why bother with kitty litter which makes more waste...how about just spreading it all in your dumpster and allow all the discarded backing paper , ruined prints and premask and coro bits absorb it..... I don't do that but curious as why we shouldn't as over a few days it will basically adhere to whatever is in there and dry out....

That's true. Kitty litter is just what I have been seeing people use forever. I think it's just cheap and convenient but your idea would probably work as well.

 

[unclebun]

I contacted our state Department of Natural Resources, and we actually have a requirement that paints and inks be poured into an adsorbent (kitty litter) and after drying/solidifying it is disposed in solid waste collection (the dumpster). It cannot be poured into the trash. So we keep a foil turkey roasting pan with kitty litter in it. We start out just covering the bottom with kitty litter, and as it gets soaked up with ink, we add more litter. It will generally work for 4 bottles worth of ink before we need to toss it.

 

[Solventinkjet]

If that's the case, then why do they say certain inks are eco friendly to the environment in situations like schools, hospitals and food places ?? Those inks have certainly dried and have gassed off and maybe even covered with a laminate. However, you cannot put just any ol' ink into those areas. So, if your waste canister is full of solvent or whatever non-conforming ink(s), isn't it still doing damage to the environment and/or air ??

I'm not starting an argument or trying to be obtuse, just what I've been told over the years. Years ago, when cleaning out a spray gun or whatnot, that scenario was true, but I've been told the inks are a different story. Kinda like taking the lead outta paint, I imagine.

Most of the time when you see eco in front of an ink brand it means economical not eco friendly. They kind of trick people with that. I have one customer who makes a product specifically for kids and they had their product tested in a lab. It's printed with a Roland using eco-sol ink on Arlon vinyl. The biggest concern the lab brought up was actually the vinyl and laminate believe it or not. They said the dry ink was fine but the phthalates in the vinyl and lam could be harmful to children. They ended up having to switch to cast vinyl on everything which just about tripled their cost. I would think the inks they use for hospitals etc is most likely water based but I'm not 100% sure on that.

 

[Modern Ink Signs]

Cheap clumping kitty litter

We use an empty container to start. Pour in the ink them some litter. Repeat until full and then throw into the dumpster.

Quick and easy

 

[TimToad]

Most community's waste management companies host annual or semi-annual toxic waste drop off days. We keep our inks in the sealed jugs that our isopropyl alcohol comes in and then drop off them off at those events for free or low cost.

 

[unclebun]

Most of the time when you see eco in front of an ink brand it means economical not eco friendly. They kind of trick people with that. I have one customer who makes a product specifically for kids and they had their product tested in a lab. It's printed with a Roland using eco-sol ink on Arlon vinyl. The biggest concern the lab brought up was actually the vinyl and laminate believe it or not. They said the dry ink was fine but the phthalates in the vinyl and lam could be harmful to children. They ended up having to switch to cast vinyl on everything which just about tripled their cost. I would think the inks they use for hospitals etc is most likely water based but I'm not 100% sure on that.

The only testing/certification available for inks used indoors is UL's Greenguard/Greenguard Gold program. It uses standards based on Washington State (Greenguard) and California (Greenguard Gold) regulations for VOC's, heavy metals, etc. HP has made much noise over being Greenguard Gold certified with their latex inks, implying that if you want to make graphics for hospitals or schools you should be using their printers. However, Eco-solvent inks are usually also Greenguard Gold certified (https://www.rolanddga.com/blog/2016/06/02/21/11/eco-solvent-ink-vs-latex-ink) "The claim that latex is an eco-friendly option, while eco-solvent is the choice for the less environmentally conscious is simply not true. In reality, Roland Eco-Sol Max inks are Greenguard Gold-Certified for low VOC’s and indoor safety, the same as latex inks."

In reality, the Eco- in eco-solvent ink DOES mean ecological. The old "true solvent" printers used solvents which were hazardous to the operator of the printer, and had to be externally vented and preferably isolated from humans. The eco-solvent inks do not contain solvents which are hazardous in typical workplace exposure.

 

[Solventinkjet]

The eco-solvent inks do not contain solvents which are hazardous in typical workplace exposure.

I'm sorry to say that this isn't true. There are absolutely solvents in eco-sol inks and they cause cancer and birth defects. After the ink is dry I believe everything you said is true but when it's a liquid, and also breathing in it's vapors, it absolutely is hazardous to your health.

 

[chrisphilipps]

Pour it into some clumping cat litter and wait until it dries. Then dump it in the trash. Essentially, they want the toxins to go into the air instead of the ground where it can contaminate ground water. Once the solvents evaporate, all you have is a bunch of cat litter and pigment.

I am in Morris County NJ only about 30 to 40 minutes from Newark, NJ, where the OP's profile says they are located. I can tell you that the county sent an investigator to all major industrial / commercial developments in the county to see how things like ink were disposed of. We asked him about the cat litter and was told if they caught anyone doing this they would get a fine. We us Veolia to remove the waste ink when we fill up a 55 gallon drum. I believe that the cost is somewhere around $250.00 and that includes getting a replacement drum.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

The MSDS for your inks should have a "disposal consideration" section.

 

[unclebun]

I am in Morris County NJ only about 30 to 40 minutes from Newark, NJ, where the OP's profile says they are located. I can tell you that the county sent an investigator to all major industrial / commercial developments in the county to see how things like ink were disposed of. We asked him about the cat litter and was told if they caught anyone doing this they would get a fine. We us Veolia to remove the waste ink when we fill up a 55 gallon drum. I believe that the cost is somewhere around $250.00 and that includes getting a replacement drum.

Every state has different rules. Every waste generator needs to find out what their state requires.

 

[unclebun]

The MSDS for your inks should have a "disposal consideration" section.

Mine says "dispose in accordance with applicable regulations"

 

[unclebun]

I'm sorry to say that this isn't true. There are absolutely solvents in eco-sol inks and they cause cancer and birth defects. After the ink is dry I believe everything you said is true but when it's a liquid, and also breathing in it's vapors, it absolutely is hazardous to your health.

They do have solvents. But they are not hazardous in typical workplace exposure, which means the vapor that enters the room air during normal use. Here's a cut and paste from the MSDS for Epson Ultrachrome GS3 ink:
"
Safety Data Sheet
HMIS rating:
3. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Substances
N.A.
Mixtures
Hazardous components within the meaning of 29 CFR 1910.1200 and related classification:
65% ~ 80% 1-ethoxy
-2-(2-
methoxyethoxy)ethane
CAS: 1002-67-1, EC: 213-690-5
B.6/4 Flam. Liq. 4 H227
10% ~ 12.5% gamma-Butyrolactone
CAS: 96-48-0, EC: 202-509-5
The product is not classified as dangerous according to OSHA Hazard Communication
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
5% ~ 7% (2-Methoxymethylethoxy)propanol
CAS: 34590-94-8
The product is not classified as dangerous according to OSHA Hazard Communication
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
1% ~ 3% Carbon black
CAS: 1333-86-4, EC: 215-609-9
The product is not classified as dangerous according to OSHA Hazard Communication
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)."

So one is listed as flammable. The others are listed as not dangerous according to OSHA Hazard Communication Standard.

Now, there are indeed people who believe that there is no safe level of any chemical, and so on, but if we work that way, we would never paint or print anything.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Mine says "dispose in accordance with applicable regulations"

Haha! That's not particularly helpful then, sorry.

 

[bob]

Just toss it out somewhere. You're not going to destroy civilization. History will proceed totally unaffected regardless of what you do with it.