Disposing of old photographic paper

4tea2

4tea2

Messages
148
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
Does anyone know the correct method for disposing of old unused paper?

We are clearing my father-in-law's house and I have a numerous packets of well out of date b&w paper to get rid off. Always a bit wary of just dumping into domestic waste. I will be taking unused chemicals to local recycling center.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
 
recycle? I too had a lot of gone off B\W paper (all sizes) and my grand kids and myself used it up for drawings, notes etc ...erm well saves cutting down more trees for new stuff.
 
If they are sealed packs then pop in the classifieds on here, I'm sure someone from this neck of the woods will give them a good home. :)
 
See if there's a community darkroom or school (lol) that still does film. They may well take it off your hands and you may not have to post it - esp if there's a lot.
 
4tea2 said:
Does anyone know the correct method for disposing of old unused paper?

We are clearing my father-in-law's house and I have a numerous packets of well out of date b&w paper to get rid off. Always a bit wary of just dumping into domestic waste. I will be taking unused chemicals to local recycling center.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Presumably it's wet print paper.

If so then as mentioned offer it as a freebie on here

Flip, depending what there is I might be interested although I'd have to pay for it sending over to France.

Don't just bin it!
 
4tea2 said:
Always a bit wary of just dumping into domestic waste. I will be taking unused chemicals to local recycling center.
Click to expand...
Stegosaurus said:
Sell it on eBay! You never know...
Click to expand...
excalibur2 said:
recycle? I too had a lot of gone off B\W paper (all sizes) and my grand kids and myself used it up for drawings, notes etc ...erm well saves cutting down more trees for new stuff.
Click to expand...
Andysnap said:
If they are sealed packs then pop in the classifieds on here, I'm sure someone from this neck of the woods will give them a good home. :)
Click to expand...
richardhall said:
Have a go at photograms with it?
Click to expand...
Harlequin565 said:
See if there's a community darkroom or school (lol) that still does film.
Click to expand...
Asha said:
If so then as mentioned offer it as a freebie on here

...

Don't just bin it!
Click to expand...

This is why I love this place :) not a single "oh, just throw it away". Makes me happy :)
 
Last edited:
The LF crowd might be able to use some of it for paper negatives. Must be worth trying?.
 
If all else fails it should go into the normal domestic waste. It is NOT recyclable. Even non resin coated is a mixture of metallic silver compounds chemicals and a paper base but resin coated has a mixture other previous three with plastic added in. My local authority guide what can go where and when, specifically mentions photographs are not recyclable.
 
Asha said:
But it IS recylable ( in a different way) by offering it to someone who can make use of it ;)

Plenty of ideas and interested parties listed above!
Click to expand...

Pure semantics. You know exactly what I mean. Jeeeez, some people! Selling to to someone or giving it away is not recycling.
 
My dad passed away a few years ago. He had a darkroom that probably hadn't been used as a darkroom since I left the house. (He built it by hand. Small, but still the best darkroom I ever worked in.) He had gallons of 40-year-old chemicals in there as well as photo paper. I called the city waste management people and they told me where to take it.
 
Particularly when Asha had used an appropriate smiley to show that he wasn't being 100% serious.

How well does traditional printing paper take modern inks if used in an inkjet?
 
Possibly, although there must be some absorbency (?adsorbency?) for the developer to do its thang.
 
Nod said:
How well does traditional printing paper take modern inks if used in an inkjet?
Click to expand...
Traditional paper has to be exposed in the dark with only a dim safelight to see what is happening. It then has to be chemically developed, and fixed, then dried, so I'm pretty sure it's not suitable for inkjet use.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Don't think it would work.
I'd expect it would bead and smudge on the paper
Click to expand...

Might work for a laser printer, anyway you could use the reverse side..erm is that recycling as it's not being used for it's original purpose :D
 
I wouldn't try it in a laser printer - they get pretty hot and I'm not sure how well the coating would take to that (or how easy it would be to remove the melted coating from the rollers!!!)

Has anyone actually tried putting a sheet of traditional paper through an inkjet or are you all guessing? Not saying that it's an ideal solution, just a possible way of using up any excess stocks people might have.
 
FishyFish said:
The kid in me is wondering what would happen if it was set on fire. :LOL:

I once threw my sister's old and broken Etch-a-Sketch on a bonfire without realising that is was basically full of some sort of magnesium dust. That went up like a Roman Candle!
Click to expand...

I've "recycled" old WW1 cartridges picked up on the Somme....take the bullet out, empty contents on a bit of paper and whoosh when lit. :eek: erm what's the recycle bit then? the casing, bullet are brass\copper and maybe lead.
 
FishyFish said:
The kid in me is wondering what would happen if it was set on fire. :LOL:

I once threw my sister's old and broken Etch-a-Sketch on a bonfire without realising that is was basically full of some sort of magnesium dust. That went up like a Roman Candle!
Click to expand...


IIRC, Silver doesn't give a significant colour in a flame test. Powdered Magnesium is a bit bright - it was one of the ingredients in flash powder in the early days of photography!
 
excalibur2 said:
I've "recycled" old WW1 cartridges picked up on the Somme....take the bullet out, empty contents on a bit of paper and whoosh when lit. :eek: erm what's the recycle bit then? the casing, bullet are brass\copper and maybe lead.
Click to expand...
 
Nod said:
I wouldn't try it in a laser printer - they get pretty hot and I'm not sure how well the coating would take to that (or how easy it would be to remove the melted coating from the rollers!!!)

Has anyone actually tried putting a sheet of traditional paper through an inkjet or are you all guessing? Not saying that it's an ideal solution, just a possible way of using up any excess stocks people might have.
Click to expand...


Not tried it, but I would think FB paper would be more successful than RC. On either, the emulsion side (chemical absorbent side for rc) isnt white until its been processed, and it darkens in colour if left out unprocessed in daylight so it wouldnt really work as an inkjet paper. I doubt the reverse resin side would accept ink at all.
 
Nod said:
How well does traditional printing paper take modern inks if used in an inkjet?
Click to expand...

Not very well it stays on the surface because there is not enough moisture in the ink to penetrate the surface. In any case the emulsion will change colour if exposed to light so it would have to be fixed and washed first. Fibre base is much the same. Try taking a piece out of the box and leave it in the light for a few hours and the surface colour will gradually change colour from a light cream/off-white to a brown or in some cases blue/grey.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top