In today’s world, hair dying is a striking form of self-expression.
However, dying your hair also presents a significant problem, especially for people with short hair. What are you supposed to do with the leftover hair dye?
Some people tend to throw the dye down the drain. But that’s not safe for the environment at all!
Read on to find out how to dispose of hair dyes safely!
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How to Dispose of Hair Dyes the Right Way
Hair dye is considered to be a hazardous waste product. This is why you can’t just throw it in the garbage and call it a day.
The best way to dispose of leftover hair dye is to put the bottle in a hazardous waste container. You can also put it in the mixed waste container.
However, if the dye has chemicals in it, then you should not throw it in the mixed recycling container.
Most hair dye contains harmful chemicals that can be dangerous to the environment. This is why it’s best to carry your hair dye waste to a hazardous waste collection center.
This is also true for other hazardous household waste. This includes hairsprays, permanent curling chemicals, and hair bleach.
To ensure that you are getting rid of the dye safely and correctly, research your local laws and rules for getting rid of hazardous waste.
You might also find that your local municipality offers convenient drop-off points in your area. You can simply drop off the hazardous material and chemicals that need to be disposed of. This will save you a trip to a hazardous waste center.
Other Ways to Use or Get Rid of Leftover Hair Dye
If you don’t want to throw away your leftover hair dye, then there are other ways to get rid of it as well.
Here are some ways in which you can use your leftover hair dye:
Share It with a Loved One
This is inarguably the most fun way to use your leftover dye. You can reach out to your family, friends, and even neighbors and ask them if they’d like to use the dye.
You might even find someone in your own home who wouldn’t mind coloring their hair with the color that you have.
This way, you can make sure that all of the leftover hair dye is used. You can also make it a fun bonding experience and color each other’s hair.
You will surely get all the missing spots that miraculously appear when you are dyeing your own hair!
Once you have used the entire dye, you can quickly rinse the bottle. As for the empty bottle, you can easily throw it in the recycling container at home.
Alternatively, you can drop it off at any recycling collection point near your location.
Donate the Hair Dye
Do you have unopened bottles of hair dye lying around at home? If you know that you will not use them, then you can donate them to a nursing home or an assisted living facility.
You can also donate the dye bottle to a women’s shelter or long-term care home in your area. They can use it to color the hair of their residents.
It will save you the trouble. Additionally, nothing can beat the rewarding feeling of knowing that you just made some stranger’s day!
Just make sure to search up such facilities in your area that are willing to take such products. This is because many centers and facilities don’t receive such products, even if they are sealed.
It’s because of the fear of potential safety issues and legal ramifications.
Find a Local Household Waste Program
Another great way to dispose of unused or leftover hair dye is to give it to a household waste program.
Simply get in touch with your municipality or other local authorities to figure out if they are running such programs.
If they have such a program, you can simply drop off the leftover or unused hair dye at that facility. This will ensure that the dye gets used and doesn’t end up in the trash.
If your community doesn’t have one, then you can track your local hazardous waste collection unit to dispose of the dye.
Don’t Throw Unused Hair Dye Down the Drain or in the Garbage
You must never throw hair dye down the drain or in the garbage. This is because these dyes are made of synthetic chemicals and substances that are categorized as hazardous waste.
A large number of chemicals used to make synthetic dyes can damage our environment.
For instance, phenylenediamine or PPD, also known as benzenediamine dihydrochloride, is a chemical that is used in hair dyes to fix shading.
This toxic substance is extremely lethal to fish and other wildlife. It can also have a significantly damaging effect on water and soil.
Hair dyes that are flushed down the drain can easily end up in your water system and contaminate the water.
This will make it difficult for waste facility workers to filter these chemicals out of the water. They often render the water toxic and unusable.
Similarly, if you throw the hair dye along with your household waste, it will end up in a landfill.
Once there, it can easily travel into the soil and groundwater. This way, it can be quite damaging to the environment.
Try a Natural, Harmless Alternative
If you don’t want to deal with toxic leftover hair dye, then try using a natural hair dye product. There are various plant-based hair dyes available in the market.
These dyes are certainly less damaging to the environment and your health.
Henna is an incredible natural alternative to chemical dyes. It’s a safe, eco-friendly option that you can certainly try when dying your hair.
You can easily use the leftover henna mixture in your compost pile rather than throwing it in hazardous waste. Reach out to your hairdresser or colorist to discuss all such natural or less damaging options.
How to Use Hair Dyes Safely
Hair dying is an incredibly creative, rewarding, and fun experience. However, since the products are made of synthetic chemicals, you should use them carefully.
You must follow the guidelines given on the product box to handle the dye safely. Mishandling the dye can cause an allergic reaction.
Here are some safety measures that you should take when working with hair dyes:
- Always make sure to do a test patch to check for any allergic reactions to the dye. To test the product, put a dab of the dye behind your ear and don’t take it off for the recommended time. If you suffer from any allergic reaction, such as redness, itching, or burning, then don’t use the dye on your scalp or hair.
- Always wear latex, rubber, or nitrile gloves when working with hair dyes and bleaches. The gloves will protect your hands from direct contact with the product.
- If you get dye stains on your hands or fingernails, use a high-quality hand cleanser to remove them right away.
- Put all of your hair dyes and other hair products out of reach of your children and pets. Accidental ingestion can have devastating consequences.
- Always work with hair dyes in a properly ventilated room. This is because the smell of synthetic dyes can be quite strong and nauseating. If the room is ventilated, you won’t have to bear the strong odor.
- If you can’t deal with the strong odor of hair dyes, then wear a face mask.
- Never leave the hair dye on your hair longer than the time mentioned on the box. This is also true for hair bleach, which is more damaging for your hair and scalp.
- Never mix different hair dye products.
- After using the hair dye, rinse your scalp with water as thoroughly as possible.
- Never dye your eyebrows with hair dye. An allergic reaction to the dye can cause swelling in your eyes. It can also cause eye infections and lead to blindness.
Use the aforementioned ways to dispose of or use your leftover hair dye.
It’s best to study your local laws and regulations for products such as hair dye disposal. Some communities have hazardous waste units inside their recycling centers.
If that is the case in your locality, then you can drop your leftover hair dye at your local recycling center.
Alternatively, you can simply drop off the dye at your hazardous waste collection site closest to your location.
Other articles you may also find useful:
- How to Dispose of Razor Blades?
- How to Dispose of Aerosol Cans Safely?
- How to Dispose of Hair Dryer
- How to Dispose of Rit Dye
- How to Dispose of Human Hair?
- How to Dispose of Aftershave Bottles?
- How to Dispose of Half Used Toiletries?
- What to Do With Old Hairbrushes?
