PCA Articles
PaintCare Introduces Latest Program in New York State!
Overview
A new paint recycling program beginning May 1, 2022 in New York State invites households, painting contractors, and other businesses to recycle leftover paint, stain, and varnish conveniently and sustainably. The program is operated by PaintCare, the nonprofit organization created by the paint industry through the American Coatings Association (ACA) to manage leftover paint in states that have enacted paint stewardship laws. The law ensures that everyone who produces, sells, and uses paint works together to minimize, reuse, and recycle unwanted paint.
“We’re excited to launch our paint stewardship program in New York State so that households, businesses, and institutions can drop-off leftover paint at their convenience, all year long,” said Andrew Radin, PaintCare’s New York Program Manager. “We’re grateful for the important role that paint and hardware stores, as well as local government facilities, will play in making sure this
environmental initiative is successful by voluntarily serving as drop-off sites. We look forward to adding additional partners in the coming months as we aim to recover and recycle over one million gallons of leftover paint each year.”
PaintCare has launched successful programs across the country following passage of similar laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and, most recently, Washington.
How It Works
PaintCare makes it convenient to recycle leftover paint by establishing drop-off sites at local government facilities and paint retailers near residential neighborhoods. These locations are easy to find by visiting PaintCare’s online site locator at www.paintcare.org, or by calling PaintCare’s hotline number at (855) PAINT-09.
Most PaintCare sites accept both latex and oil-based architectural paint products, including paints, stains, sealers, and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off in its original container with its original manufacturer’s label. A full list of products accepted by the program is available on PaintCare’s website at www.paintcare.org/products.
There is no cost to businesses and households when dropping off their unwanted paint for recycling. A small fee on the sale of new paint— called the PaintCare fee— funds all aspects of the program including paint collection, transportation, processing and public education. The PaintCare fee in New York varies by container size: $0.00 for half pint or smaller; $0.45 for larger than half pint up to smaller than one gallon; $0.95 for one gallon up to two gallons; $1.95 for larger than two gallons up to five gallons.
The Large Volume Pick Up (LVP) Service
In New York, painting contractors and others with 100 gallons or more of paint to recycle may now request a free paint pickup at their location. The amount is measured by container size, not liquid volume, and containers must be in their original cans and labeling to qualify for this service. More information may be found on PaintCare’s website at www.paintcare.org/pickup.
To request an LVP, follow these steps:
1. Sort and count your paint. Tally the number of each container size and the type of products you have, sorted into two categories: (1) water-based paints and stains, and (2) oil-based paint and stains and any other program products (sealers and clear top-coat products, such as varnish and shellac).
2. Fill out the request form. Fill out the Large Volume Pickup Request Form on our website (www.paintcare.org/pickup). Upon request, the form is also available as a PDF and can be returned to PaintCare by email or regular mail. Call PaintCare at (855) PAINT09 to request the printable form.
To date, PaintCare has processed more than 50 million gallons of paint nationally and saved state and local governments millions of dollars. We look forward to working together to create a convenient paint recycling program for the state of New York!
PaintCare is a non-profit organization that plans and operates paint stewardship programs in states that pass the paint stewardship law. PaintCare was created by the paint industry through the American Coatings Association (ACA) to manage leftover paint in these states, referred to as “PaintCare states.” PaintCare currently operates programs in California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and now New York. Through its more than 1,800 drop-off sites, PaintCare has managed over 47 million gallons of leftover paint in over ten years of operation. To find a drop-off location near you, use the PaintCare online site locator.