Paint Recycling Program Celebrates Continued Success in Connecticut

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Nov 19, 2018, 12:48 ET

HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its launch in July of 2013, PaintCare's paint stewardship program in Connecticut has continued to expand and find growing success. To-date, PaintCare has collected and processed more than 1,502,572 gallons of leftover architectural paint in Connecticut. The program is also responsible for recycling 200 tons of metal and plastic containers in the state during the 2018 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018).

The PaintCare program in Connecticut currently boasts a network of 146 year-round drop-off sites that will accept unused paint. The majority of drop-off sites (103) are paint retailers that accept paint from the public during their regular business hours. The remaining sites consist of 41 town transfer stations and two reuse stores. 100% percent of Connecticut residents live within 15 miles of a year-round drop-off site.

In the 2018 Fiscal Year, PaintCare also managed paint from four seasonal HHW drop-off facilities, 51 HHW drop-off events, two seasonal transfer stations, and two retailers that accepted paint for part of the year. In addition, PaintCare provided direct Large Volume Pick-ups (LVP) to 32 businesses and institutions that had accumulated more than 200 gallons of paint at their facilities.

PaintCare Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was established by paint manufacturers (paint producers) to implement and operate paint stewardship programs in U.S. states and jurisdictions that have passed paint stewardship laws. Today, PaintCare manages nine (9) paint recycling programs around the country, including California, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia.

The program is funded by a nominal fee on new paint sales: 35 cents for pints and quarts, 75 cents for one gallon cans, and $1.60 for larger containers up to five gallons. This fee has remained consistent over the past five years, and is responsible for funding paint collection, transportation, recycling, retailer training, and promotion in Connecticut. Although all retailers must include the fee on their paint sales, participation as a drop-off site is optional.

A large part of this program's success in Connecticut has been due to the overwhelming support that PaintCare has received from participating retailers, paint professionals, state legislators, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and residents who are choosing to do their part.

"We are pleased with the success of this program in Connecticut," said Program Manager Laura Honis, "and are grateful to our valued retail partners as well as the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection for making this achievement possible."

For more information on PaintCare and to find a local drop-off site, please visit www.paintcare.org. Find complete annual reports on PaintCare's program at www.paintcare.org/paintcare-states/connecticut/#/official-docs.

Click the link below to view a one-page infographic highlighting the successes from the most recent reporting period for the Connecticut PaintCare Program (July 2017 to June 2018). Connecticut residents are encouraged to download and print a copy of the infographic and then post it for staff and the public at your business or organization.

View/Download Infographic

About PaintCare
PaintCare is a non-profit organization established by the American Coatings Association to implement Paint Stewardship Programs on behalf of the paint manufacturers in states that pass paint stewardship laws. To learn more about PaintCare, please visit www.paintcare.org. For press photos, visit www.paintcare.org/press-images.

PaintCare was recently awarded the 2018 Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award from the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) for its impact on sustainable materials management in four New England States: Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

CONTACT
Brett Rodgers
Director of Communications
(202) 719-3707 • [email protected]

SOURCE PaintCare