PaintCare Celebrates Ten Years of Paint Recycling in California

SAN DIEGO – PaintCare, the nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, is celebrating ten successful years of paint recycling in California. PaintCare’sCalifornia program has collected nearly 34 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish since its launch in 2012, almost half of what PaintCare has collected nationwide. Guided by California’s paint stewardship law that was passed by the state legislature and signed into law in 2012, PaintCare makes it easy for households and businesses to drop off leftover paint for recycling at a network of more than 850 drop-off sites throughout the state.

According to the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), about 10 percent of all household latex and oil-based paint goes unused in the U.S. – that’s about 85 million gallons yearly. Paint stewardship laws ensure that everyone involved in the production, sale, and use of paint work together to manage itsentire product life cycle. Thanks to the introduction of the PaintCare program in California, most of that leftover paint has had a chance at a useful second life through reuse and recycling.

While giving Californians a convenient and cost-effective way to recycle paint, PaintCare diverts paint from landfills and puts it to beneficial use. Most of what PaintCare collects is latex paint that can be processed into new paint by recyclers, while some isused in other applications. PaintCare also partners with community organizations to provide households, nonprofits, and businesses access to free or low-cost leftover paint.  

“The PaintCare program is a shining example of the good that can be done when government and industry work together with a common goal,” said Terri Marsman, PaintCare’s California Program Manager. “The results from the first 10 years of operation show the impact of the PaintCare program and its potential for continued growth.”

PaintCare’s California program is made possible by the state’s paint stewardship law, which was passed in 2012. California’s program was the second in the country and set a standard for similar paint stewardship programs that have now been enacted in nine other states and the District of Columbia. The program was created by the paint industry and the American Coatings Association with oversight by California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).

Nationally, PaintCare has collected more than 62 million gallons of paint from households and businesses since its first program launched in Oregon in 2009. Since then, PaintCare has partnered with more than 2,400 new drop-off sites, managed paint from more than 300 paint collection events and provided more than 8,000 free pickups for households, businesses, and organizations with at least 100 gallons of paint to recycle.

Households and businesses can easily find the nearest drop-off site by visiting PaintCare’s online site locator. Drop-off sites include paint retail, hardware, reuse and lumber stores open during normal business hours, as well as locally managed government facilities. PaintCare also hosts events where households and businesses can drop off unused paint and, at some events, pick up free paint for reuse.

The paint stewardship law includes a small fee—called the PaintCare fee—on the sale of any new paint in the state, which funds all aspects of the program including paint collection, transportation, processing, and public education.

For more information on PaintCare and to find a local drop-off site, please visit www.paintcare.org.

About PaintCare in California

PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households, businesses, and institutions to recycle postconsumer (leftover) paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. Nearly 34 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s California program since its launch in 2012. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter@WeRecyclePaint.