PaintCare’s
program makes paint recycling more convenient
PROVIDENCE,
RI. – Paint recycling just got easier in the Ocean State. PaintCare, a Washington,
DC-based product stewardship organization for the paint industry, and the Rhode
Island Department of Environmental Management are pleased to announce the start
of a new paint recycling program in Rhode Island.
June
1 marked the first day of the Rhode Island Paint Stewardship Program established
by legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Ruggerio and Representative Donna Walsh
and signed into law by Governor Lincoln Chafee in 2012.
The
new law requires paint manufacturers to develop a take back system for leftover
paint from household and commercial consumers. The new program is the fifth of
its kind in the United States.
The
Rhode Island law requires that paint manufacturers create and fund an
easy-to-use, cost-effective and environmentally-responsible program to manage
unused or leftover paint in the state. The program is funded by a nominal fee
added to the purchase price of paint at retailers throughout the state. The fees
range from $0.35 to $1.60, depending the size of the container.
“This
new program offers Rhode Islanders convenient options to safely recycle or
dispose of unwanted latex and oil-based paint by taking it to one of the new
collection sites at participating paint retailers,” said DEM Director Janet
Coit. “Thanks to the cooperation of the paint industry, we are able to provide this
valuable service for Rhode Island households and painting contractors. In
addition to creating a new market for recycled paint, this program will also
reduce waste and keep the toxic ingredients from older paints out of the
environment.”
For
the convenience of Ocean State residents, most PaintCare new drop-off sites
will be at paint retailers and open year round. PaintCare sites accept all
brands of house paint, stain and varnish, no matter how old they are, during
their regular business hours. This will give homeowners and paint professionals
alike multiple, easy-to-use options to recycle unwanted paint, including latex
paint. Paint Care expects to set up at least 25 new paint drop-off sites
throughout Rhode Island as part of the program.
In
addition to the PaintCare sites, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
will continue to accept paints, stains, and varnishes at their Saturday
Eco-Depot events. Eco-Depot will continue to be for residents only, while
contractors may use any PaintCare participating retailer.
“It’s
exciting to be adding Rhode Island to the program,” said PaintCare Executive
Director, Marjaneh Zarrehparvar. “The support for this movement in the state
has been tremendous from the legislative level down, and we are looking forward
to working together with our partners at DEM, as well as the paint retailers
across the state, to make responsible paint recycling as easy and as
readily-available as possible.” she added.
To
view the approved program plan, please visit paintcare.org/rhodeisland.
PaintCare lists the new PaintCare sites on its webpage. Using an easy-to-use
search tool, residents and businesses can find the nearest drop-off site by
entering their zip code or town. Please visit www.paintcare.org for more information
or to locate a PaintCare site.
About
Paint Care
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.