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screen printing => General Screen Printing => Topic started by: screenxpress on December 06, 2023, 02:51:22 PM
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For years and years I have read about the hazards of dumping unwanted Plastisol. Well, the word must not have gotten to Houston. Houston, do we have a problem?
Today I went to our Solid Waste Management Environmental Drop-off. A repository so special it's only open 2 days a week 9 - 3.
Along with some old monitors, spray paint cans that would not spray, some miscellaneous electrical (broke) junk, I took some unneeded oddball Plastisol containers. Stuff where the tops had collapsed and were about half full or so. Stuff I didn't want anymore and used the opportunity to dump the Plastisol with the electronics and bulbs.
About 6 partial quarts of ink and a one-gallon bucket half full of really old Puff White Triangle ink.
They looked at the containers and set them back in the truck for me to toss in the trash along with a couple other items they didn't want. I even described what they were, their use and that they are not supposed to be disposed of that way. This city department has a long list of things they take. Hazardous stuff. Batteries, acids, paints, florescent lights, etc. It's NOT a recycling center.
I guess they will go out with next week's trash. I know it's not right but ¯\_(",)_/¯
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Don't worry, when the sun becomes a red giant they'll cure into solid little blocks...so you're good.
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Once there was a guy who turned leftover liquid plastisol (not cured) into anti fatigue mats. Thought that was a good idea.
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I found a used countertop lab oven ($50) and it works great for curing bulk plastisol. I put a quart in a disposable foil pan and set the temperature at 350 degrees, in about 10 minutes it's cured into a lump. After it cools, it peels out of the pan (which I re-use).
I've got the oven on a cart that I roll outside to keep the stink out of the shop.
My back-up strategy is Craigslist. Just yesterday I gave away a few gallons of un-needed stuff:
- Dulling paste (suede)
- Uni-stretch clear
- Plascharge
- Silver shimmer
- Some oddball quarts of pantone matched plastisol
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At least our whites don't have lead in them any more. But those were some great whites to print back in the day.
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Once there was a guy who turned leftover liquid plastisol (not cured) into anti fatigue mats. Thought that was a good idea.
That will certainly work. I used to sell industrial plastisol to one of the largest anti-fatigue mat manufacturers they doctor blade into belts that then run through a tentor. Pretty cool. Most are foam based (blowing agent by not the one used in standard ink puff).
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