Disposing Pyrocat HD

[Bobby Sandstrom]

I would like to know how you all dispose your exhausted pyrocat hd. I'm going to try it and am wondering if dumping down the drain is ok. ( I live in the Los Angeles area)

Thanks everyone!

[Matt Miller]

I dump mine in the sink.

[Bobby Sandstrom]

By the lack of response (which I completely understand) I suspect a lot of others do too! Thanks Matt.

[Scott Schroeder]

I don't develop too often and I am on septic, so I just leave it outside in a 5 gallon bucket to evaporate. Washes go down the sink though.

[Jon Wilson]

Some communities have a free monthly pick up for "hazardous" / "caustic" materials, e.g., pesticides, used oil, chemicals. You might check with either your local or state water quality or solid waste disposal department for environmentally friendly methods of disposal. There is a once-a-month free local pick up in Boise, ID. I believe it is worth the extra effort, fortunately in my case, the local pick-up is only couple blocks down the street.

[Brian C. Miller]

I remember someone on this forum once asked the local municipal waste treatment plant about dumping photographic chemicals down the drain, and if that would have a detrimental effect on sewage treatment.

The first thing the engineer on the other end of the line did was have a good belly laugh!

The volume of chemicals you dump vs the volume of waste treated at a plant is just not in the ballpark of "significant." I think the only thing you really should take a look at is your fixer, as the silver can be recovered and recycled. Then you can get a few bucks for your old silver.

[Mark Sampson]

Most developers break down quickly to relatively harmless compounds. If you don't want to do silver recovery at home (and most home darkrooms don't generate enough used fixer to make it worth the effort) perhaps a local lab will take your used fixer for recovery. No sense sending silver down the drain, as it's a) valuable, b) a finite resource, and c) toxic.

[Wayne]

not to mention illegal.