Old Chemical Storage / Disposal

[Empyreus]

Hey everyone,

I haven't figured out exactly how I want to dispose of my chemicals yet, and I was wondering if there are any issues storing all of them ( Color / B&W Chemistry, fixer, blix, fix, etc) in one large waste container such as a bleach bottle until disposal.

Also if anyone has suggestions on the best ways to recycle or safely dispose of these it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Todd Niccole]

Your municipality may have a hazardous household waste disposal program where you can drop off such stuff at some appointed time. Check with the city government.

 

[AgX]

There are many threads here concerning this issue, one even a few weeks ago.

In any case as long as you have not decided on the way to dispose of, keep Dev, Fix, Bleach apart.

 

[KenS]

Hey everyone,

I haven't figured out exactly how I want to dispose of my chemicals yet, and I was wondering if there are any issues storing all of them ( Color / B&W Chemistry, fixer, blix, fix, etc) in one large waste container such as a bleach bottle until disposal.

Also if anyone has suggestions on the best ways to recycle or safely dispose of these it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Moght I suggest at you STOP pouring your well use fixer down the drain and 'recover' the silver.

I found (by mistake) the easiest and least expensive means.
after long hours in my home darkroom.

I had a glass carboy of 'partially used developer standing in the corner and went and poured my used (but not dead 'fixer' into that carboy and replaced the stopper... and being more than ready for a good night's sleep....headed off to bed.
A couple of evenings later I was 'back' for more processing.. I looked in the corner and noticed an inch or so of a black precipitate. What had happened???
I contacted one of Kodak's scientists (The late Dr, Mowery.. also known on line as "Chemical engineer) and he indicated the black powder was, in fact, the PUREST form of silver you might (or could ) 'Find'.. and suggested I find a 'place' to have it melted down in muffle furnace.. So I took it over to a friend in the nearby university and got the job done.
As of today I still have TWO carboys in a corner 'ready and able to accept my used chemicals, rather than pouring those used chemicals down the drain (where they are 'LOST FOREVER.

There are a few 'folks' on the forums (fora???) who have claimed I am 'FULL of S**T... But I don't really care.
I sell it to nearby jewellery repair shop and use the $$ for more chemicals when in need.


Ken

 

[Sirius Glass]

Do a search of the threads on this website for many pages of discussion. I take mine to a toxic waste disposal.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Recovering silver from used fixer is a good idea. If you don't want to do it yourself, check to see if a local photo processing lab will take your used fixer from you. Usually, they'll take it and dispose of it for you in return for keeping the recovered silver.

Used developer and stop can go down the drain just about everywhere I've ever checked. Best practice is to mix them together first before discarding and then flush with water afterward.

Color chemicals may need more care.

I took used fixer to my local HazMat facility once. They treated it like nuclear waste and indicated that they would incinerate it. When I mentioned silver recovery, they had no clue...

Best,

Doremus

 

[runswithsizzers]

IF there is a university nearby, and IF that university has a photography department, then they may be able to help.

 

[TJones]

Moght I suggest at you STOP pouring your well use fixer down the drain and 'recover' the silver.

I found (by mistake) the easiest and least expensive means.
after long hours in my home darkroom.

I had a glass carboy of 'partially used developer standing in the corner and went and poured my used (but not dead 'fixer' into that carboy and replaced the stopper... and being more than ready for a good night's sleep....headed off to bed.
A couple of evenings later I was 'back' for more processing.. I looked in the corner and noticed an inch or so of a black precipitate. What had happened???
I contacted one of Kodak's scientists (The late Dr, Mowery.. also known on line as "Chemical engineer) and he indicated the black powder was, in fact, the PUREST form of silver you might (or could ) 'Find'.. and suggested I find a 'place' to have it melted down in muffle furnace.. So I took it over to a friend in the nearby university and got the job done.
As of today I still have TWO carboys in a corner 'ready and able to accept my used chemicals, rather than pouring those used chemicals down the drain (where they are 'LOST FOREVER.

There are a few 'folks' on the forums (fora???) who have claimed I am 'FULL of S**T... But I don't really care.
I sell it to nearby jewellery repair shop and use the $$ for more chemicals when in need.


Ken

A process so efficient and inexpensive should be protected by a patent. Have you applied for one?

 

[gone]

A process so efficient and inexpensive should be protected by a patent. Have you applied for one?

I think I own the patent on that one. It's one of several, my best one is how to know what the weather is wherever you are, anywhere in the world, at any time.......stick your head out of the window©

 

[TJones]

I think I own the patent on that one. It's one of several, my best one is how to know what the weather is wherever you are, anywhere in the world, at any time.......stick your head out of the window©

Do you have the one for the secret device that increases your gas mileage by 50%?

 

[Empyreus]

Recovering silver from used fixer is a good idea. If you don't want to do it yourself, check to see if a local photo processing lab will take your used fixer from you. Usually, they'll take it and dispose of it for you in return for keeping the recovered silver.

Used developer and stop can go down the drain just about everywhere I've ever checked. Best practice is to mix them together first before discarding and then flush with water afterward.

Color chemicals may need more care.

I took used fixer to my local HazMat facility once. They treated it like nuclear waste and indicated that they would incinerate it. When I mentioned silver recovery, they had no clue...

Best,

Doremus

One of the main things I was looking for is what chemicals are safe to mix since it's easier to store in a larger container. So seems like Dev / Stop can be mixed at least. I found a HazMat facility that will accept it from Earth911.com so I will see what they do to recycle it.

Extracting the silver sounds like a waste of time since I would be retrieving such small amounts I could never do anything with it.

 

[grain elevator]

I'll repeat, better don't mix anything until you know specifics of disposal. My city disposal company wants everything separate, AFAIK they incinerate everything but before that, they keep different pH ranges apart to prevent violent reactions. Not that typical photo chems in dilute state would cause them mixed among each other, but we don't know what they may have picked up before.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'll repeat, better don't mix anything until you know specifics of disposal. My city disposal company wants everything separate, AFAIK they incinerate everything but before that, they keep different pH ranges apart to prevent violent reactions. Not that typical photo chems in dilute state would cause them mixed among each other, but we don't know what they may have picked up before.

An interesting approach.

 

[AgX]

An interesting approach.

It is the EU approach. With several dedicated codes for the various spent processing baths.

But whether this approach by all recycling firms in times of very low throughput is still followed is questionable.

 

[grain elevator]

Let me add that stop bath can definitely go down the drain, it's just dilute vinegar or citric acid. I also pour developers that don't contain lots of Hydroquinone down the drain, although technically I'm not allowed to. But there's an environmental cost to incineration, and I believe for ascorbate developer it's higher than pouring it down the drain.