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(Image: The Paint Laboratory)
A paint recycling program new to Washington is marking its first year of activity with a report showing growing success in the proper disposal of thousands of gallons of paint.
You can help by keeping any unused paint out of the garbage and dropping your unwanted cans at free collection sites across Seattle — including one on Capitol Hill.
PaintCare, which runs recycling programs across several states including Washington, says it collected 55,178 gallons of paint from King County businesses and households alone during its first year operating in the state after the start of Washington’s paint stewardship law.
While the bulk of the paint collected by PaintCare comes from its large volume pickup service for businesses and organizations with 100 gallons of paint or more to recycle, people with smaller amounts can also add to the stewardship by dropping off their cans at one of the more than 200 stores and facilities across the state signed up as collection sites under the program.
There is one location on Capitol Hill — 10th Ave E’s The Paint Laboratory is the lone participant signed up in the area of Capitol Hill and the Central District. It reported zero gallons picked up by the program in the past year though many sites may recycle or dispose of paint through their own systems.
The state’s $5 million program is supported by a fee on new paint sales: 45 cents on pint and
quart containers; 95 cents on 1-gallon and 2-gallon containers; and $1.95 on 5-gallon containers. Approximately 11.8 million gallons of architectural paints were sold in the state and the program collected more than $7 million in revenue from these sales — leaving it with near $2 million in net assets after the first year.
In all, PaintCare says it collected 842,000 gallons of unwanted paint in its first year in the state.
Under the program, latex paint can be resold or given way by the participating venues, or sorted, blended, and sometimes re-tinted into recycled-content latex paint. Dry paint is taken to the landfill under the program.
Oil paints may also be resold or given away. Some may be incinerated as waste. The bulk — more than 60% — is used for “Energy Recovery” with the oil-based paint processed at a waste-to-energy facility or cement kiln.
To find your closest drop-off location or find out if your business or organization qualifies for a large quantity pick-up, visit paintcare.org.
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