Recycle unused Paint

There is an organization called PaintCare which is an industry sponsored paint stewardship non-profit program established to manage the reuse, recycling and proper disposal of unused architectural paint.

PaintCare makes paint recycling more convenient. They operate paint stewardship programs on behalf of paint manufacturers in states that have passed paint stewardship laws. They collect unwanted, leftover paint - usually at retail stores that also sell paint, because they have regular business hours and convenient locations.

Prior to PaintCare, the best options for residents to recycle or dispose of unwanted paint were government-run household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities and special one-day “round-up” events with limited days, hours and locations. In states with PaintCare, many new paint drop-off locations are established, mostly at paint retailers who volunteer to take back paint. These retailers take back paint during regular business hours making paint recycling and disposal much more convenient for the public.

The program is funded through fees on each container of architectural paint in states with paint stewardship programs at the point of purchase. There is no cost to drop off and/or recycle your paint.

The states that have registered this program to date are: California, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Minnesota and Maine.  You can visit http://paintcare.org/locator/ to find a drop off location near you.