Recycling of waste latex paint in concrete: a review

Abstract

With over 16 million gallons of latex paint being discarded every year it is the largest, by volume, liquid hazardous waste in the United States. Waste latex paint is difficult to recycle and hazardous to the environment due to the volatile organic compounds it contains. Several methods exist for disposing WLP including paint swaps, combustion, and by drying and discarding in a landfill. Many communities are moving to dispose waste latex paint by drying and placing in a landfill due to budgetary constraints. Nonetheless, this is the least environmentally friendly technique since it creates a need for new resources. Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. However, normal concrete has several deficiencies including low tensile strength, low weight to strength ratio, and low chemical resistance. Polymer-modified concrete was created to overcome several disadvantages of normal concrete. Despite its superior properties, latex-modified concrete use is limited to special applications due to the associated cost premium. These special applications include bridge overlays, anti-corrosive linings, and water-proofing, parking decks, and patching deteriorating concrete. The current literature shows promise of recycling waste latex paint in concrete to produce an economic latex-modified concrete. Studies have shown that recycling latex paint in concrete can produce a superior concrete while safely disposing of a harmful hazardous waste.