The present study deals with characterization of copper tailing waste, test for possibilities of hazards and its potential reuse as an extender in paints. The waste is a siliceous material containing aluminum oxide, iron oxide and sulphate in significant concentrations. In the primary stage waste is acidic in nature, which makes it unsuitable for paint. This acidity is removed from the waste by simple sieving and grinding. The prepared mass was characterized for basic properties of an extender like oil absorption, specific gravity, pH, etc. Toxicity studies were also conducted in term of leaching of heavy metals by standard techniques (USEPA using TCLP). Properties of the prepared paint's film in terms of hardness, adhesion, resistance to abrasion, resistance to impact, resistance to corrosion (under humidity and salt fog), etc. were evaluated and compared with a similar formulation of conventional extender and found satisfactory. Results from the experiments indicated that developed extender is environmentally clean and cost-effective. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.