GREENSBORO, N.C.-- There comes a day in the life of a nail polish when it's time to head to the big beauty salon in the sky.
Before you toss it in the garbage or pour it down the drain consider this, it's a flammable and toxic chemical.
"We really don't want anything flammable in our trash cans or our recycling cans or out in the environment, Tori Carle Greensboro Waste Reduction Supervisor said.
She says some people try to do the right thing by recycling nail polish but they couldn't be more wrong.
"Yes it's contained in a glass jar, but the contents inside are not recyclable, " Carle said.
When you recycle nail polish, you risk the polish getting onto other items rendering them no longer able to be recycled.
The EPA considers nail polish to be household hazardous waste (HHW) which means you have to dispose of it differently.
You are supposed to bring them to a HHW waste facility like Ecoflow in Greensboro that services Guilford County.
The facility accepts things like old paint, cleaning supplies, and electronics. The nice thing is you don't even have to get out of your car.
Employee Todd Pope says he has new visitors each shift he works.
"What's kind of crazy is that people who live here in Greensboro don't know that this place is here," he said.
Before you dispose of your old nail polish try using it in a different way. You can use it to make jewelry,
spruce up a phone case, or even color code your keys.
You can also donate it to a place like Reconsidered goods in Greensboro, a non-profit that reuses materials to create art.
"I know that some donation centers aren't really going to ask for nail polish leftover nail polish or fabric scraps that kind of thing and that's the kind of thing that reconsidered goods thrives on." Carle said.
To find the nearest Household Hazardous Waste facility check your county's official website.It will also list what is and is not accepted at the facility. Keep in mind to drop things off, you have to be a resident of the county the facility is located in.