Oct 18 - Paint Recycling Program Kicks Off Tomorrow

Beginning Oct. 19, Californians can bring leftover cans of paint to designated retailers and other drop-off sites recycle them at no charge.

CAW-sponsored bill AB 1343 by Assembly Member Huffman established the California Paint Stewardship Program, requiring paint manufacturers to develop a take-back system for leftover paint from residential and commercial consumers.

Under the California law, paint retailers will collect a recovery fee of 35 cents for every container of paint that is between half a pint and 1 gallon, 75 cents for 1-gallon paints and $1.60 for paints sold in quantities between 1 and 5 gallons. The fees are used to pay for the transportation of paint from drop-off sites to the processors that recycle the material. There is no fee for dropping off old paint for recycling.

Leftover paint is considered a household hazardous material that is illegal to throw in the trash. In fact, roughly 50% of what is recycled through the state's 120 hazardous waste facilities is architectural paint. In 2008, over 26 million gallons of paint were collected in California, costing local governments over $27 million. Local governments had no choice but to bear the high cost because paint is prohibited from disposal in California solid waste landfills.

"This program will make proper paint management more convenient for the public by setting up hundreds of new paint drop-off sites at retailers throughout the state," said Marjaneh Zarrehparvar, Executive Director of PaintCare.

Statewide, 700 collection sites are planned, 600 of which will be at retail locations, including many Dunn-Edwards, Kelly-Moore, Vista and Glidden paint stores. For a list of locations, visit www.paintcare.org/california.