How Do You Properly Dispose of Nail Polish?

In this day and age, nail polish has become a beauty staple, especially when we’re wearing those cute sandals we wear during the summer. And who would blame us? Nail polish has the power to transform even the most ordinary of nails into works of art.

So it makes sense to always have nail polish in our house.

However, getting rid of leftover nail polish can be a pain – most of us don’t know what to do with it.

Fortunately, that’s where we come in. In today’s post, we are going to talk about all things nail polish disposal.

Is nail polish hazardous waste?

Yes, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorizes nail polish as a household hazardous waste. This is because it contains toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate.

Is it safe to throw away nail polish?

No, it’s not safe to throw away nail polish, particularly since it’s a hazardous waste and can cause environmental harm.

This is only a feasible option if you have little amounts of nail polish left. And even then, there’s a strict procedure you need to follow.

First of all, you should pour out all the nail polish onto an old newspaper and let it dry – leave the bottle open as well so that its interior can dry. Afterward, throw both the newspaper and nail polish bottle into your trash can.

How do you properly dispose of nail polish?

The best and easiest way to dispose of nail polish is to drop it off at a household hazardous waste facility – you can find one using Earth 911’s recycling search directory.

You need to know that such facilities will only accept your waste if you live in the county/city that owns them though. So always call them before heading out.

Does nail polish get recycled?

Yes, nail polish can be recycled – companies like Chemwise do this.

This company will recycle your nail polish bottle and brush too, as long as you buy a recycling kit from them for $78.73.

Since this is a mail-in program, it is quite convenient. However, since it is costly, it is better suited for people who run nail salons.

How can I reuse dried nail polish?

Even if your nail polish is old and bumpy, you can easily restore it by shaking it, warming it, or adding a few drops of remover.

Afterward, you can reuse it for your nails or for decorating your shoes/phone covers. You can even mix your nail polish with other ones.

What can you do with empty nail polish bottles besides throwing them out?

Generally, nail polish bottles are hard to recycle. So in many places, you will have no choice but to throw them in the trash.

Always check with your local recycling facility before doing this.

Always opt for safer nail polishes

To reduce the chances of you adding toxins to the environment, always look for nail polishes that don’t have any of the toxic chemicals we discussed.

While they are harder to find, they are worth the hassle.