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Disposing of darkroom chemicals
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Does anyone know of any company that would dispose of used darkroom chemicals – D76, Multigrade print developer, Fixer and RA4 colour.
Hi folks, I have kind of same question. Don’t tell me that all of you (film users, developing at home) pour chemicals into the sink! :?
I asked in Dundalk recycling centre, and they never heard about such a thing :(Some recycle centres or county council waste collection centres will take chemicals. The only one of concern is the fixer.
GUARDIAN SILVERLINING Waste Management Services
http://www.wastecollection.ie/wastecollection/Main/Home.htm
For small amounts this seems a bit OTT. Flushing down the toilet is not a problem with developers and stop baths as the materials are biodegradable and will not upset the “bugs” in the sewage plant. Large amounts of used fixer might be more of an issue as they will contain silver. I must admit if it was me and I was producing ony low volumes of waste materials, I know what I would do with them. :roll:
Not sure if this is true but I heard that mixing your Developer and Stopper together helps cancel them out so can be put down the drain :?
Is this true or was someone telling me porky’s?
Of course I don’t do this and go to a recycling center with mine :DIf you mix the dev and stop bath or fixer, the pH should go towards neutral… if you flush them separately in the toilet for example, the water should be enough to neutralize them to a level where they won’t cause any problems.
Silver is usually easy to remove from the sewage, most of it settles out in the sediment or precipitated after treatment with lime or adsorbed with the flocculant. The amount silver remaining in the water after treatment is very low, and you wouldn’t know if it came from the Wicklow Mountains for example or from the nearest treatment facility. Even if it gets into the fresh waters or oceans, it settles out and remains attached to the sediment for hundreds of years.
I personally don’t bother taking the fixer I use to a treatment facility, it’s not worth the trouble in my case.
Zoltan
randomway wrote:
If you mix the dev and stop bath or fixer, the pH should go towards neutral… if you flush them separately in the toilet for example, the water should be enough to neutralize them to a level where they won’t cause any problems.
Silver is usually easy to remove from the sewage, most of it settles out in the sediment or precipitated after treatment with lime or adsorbed with the flocculant. The amount silver remaining in the water after treatment is very low, and you wouldn’t know if it came from the Wicklow Mountains for example or from the nearest treatment facility. Even if it gets into the fresh waters or oceans, it settles out and remains attached to the sediment for hundreds of years.
I personally don’t bother taking the fixer I use to a treatment facility, it’s not worth the trouble in my case.
Zoltan
Hi,
What would you do with Selenium toner? Thanks
Hi All,
Get the MSDS sheets, follow the recommendations contained.
You can lash them both with CITRIC ACID it will neutralise them, problem is trying to find vast amounts…
You can do the socially responsible thing and use any of the multitude of environmental companies out there, I use GSL for work stuff, they are at Cookstown ind estate, Dublin – 01 462 2822, ask them what commercial printers they pick up from in your area, try piggy back on their collections.
Adrian
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