Question regarding recycling chemicals

[cinetango]

Dumb question....
I just finished building my first darkroom I was wondering if the fixer and the stop chemicals can be reuse? Or do I discard them after I finish enlarging?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Raul

[jim appleyard]

Dump the stop after it's exhausted, but you can save the silver out of the fixer when it's done. See the sticky at the top of this page for more info on that.

[Gerald C Koch]

If you are using a commercial fixer the capacity should be given on the label or instruction sheet. It is usually given in the number of 8x10 sheets per liter or gallon. Keep a record as to the number of sheets processed after each darkroom session and discard the fixer when the capacity has been reached.

[Mainecoonmaniac]

You can reuse your stop and fix. If you get in indicator stop, use it until it turns purple then dump it. You can reuse your fix too. Get some hypo check to see if its exhausted. If drops turn cloudy, turn it in to a recycling center. Don't dump it down the sink because its a heavy metal.

[Sirius Glass]

You can reuse Stop Bath until the color changes from yellow to purple, which means the Indicator tells you that it is at the end of its life.
Hypo can be used until the number of film rolls or square inches [cm] has been fixed. When hypo takes twice as long to clear film as it did when the hypo was fresh, it is time to dump the hypo. Hypo check is another way to see if the hypo is exhausted.

[Worker 11811]

Developers are usually one-shot. Dump them down the drain using plenty of water to dilute and wash it away.
However, check the manufacturer's instructions. Some are reusable and/or replenishable. If it is, save it. Otherwise, dump.

Stop baths are reusable. Many have indicators in them to tell you when they are used up. Usually yellow/purple. It starts out yellow then turns purple when it's used up.
"If it's yellow, then it's mellow. If it's blue, then it's through."

Fixers are usually reusable. Again, the manufacturer will tell you.
A good rule of thumb is to put some film in a fresh solution of fixer and time how long it takes to completely clear the film. Remember that time. Then, when the time it takes to clear the film gets twice as long as it did, originally, it's exhausted.
Store it away until you can dispose of it properly or, better yet, recover the silver first, then dispose.

Other solutions like wash agents, wetting agents and fixer neutralizers/removers vary in their reuseability. Manufacturer's instructions, again.

[Sirius Glass]

Developers are usually one-shot. Dump them down the drain using plenty of water to dilute and wash it away.
However, check the manufacturer's instructions. Some are reusable and/or replenishable. If it is, save it. Otherwise, dump.

Developers are one shot only if they are diluted. Reusable developers include D-76, XTOL, ... if used as stock solutions. I prefer Kodak XTOL replenished for fine grain and smooth tonality. There are other developers that can be used replenished.

Pyros are one shot developers.

[cinetango]

Thanks for all the quick replays

[Worker 11811]

Developers are one shot only if they are diluted.

You're right. I use both, XTOL and D-76 but I usually dilute them. Thus, they are disposable. However, if not diluted, they are not disposed until they are used up or need to be replenished.

[Jeff Kubach]

After my fixer is exhaust I drink it!

Jeff