PaintCare Collects One Millionth Gallon of Paint in Washington

PaintCare – the nonprofit organization set up by paint manufacturers to operate statewide paint recycling programs – is announcing that it has officially processed one million gallons of paint collected from households and businesses in Washington. This noteworthy milestone comes just 18 months after Washington’s PaintCare program was launched.

PaintCare provides a statewide network of 241 convenient drop-off sites where the public can recycle postconsumer (leftover) architectural paint, stain, and varnish. The program benefits consumers and the environment by diverting paint from Washington’s waste stream and reusing and recycling it in communities across the state. It also saves local governments millions of dollars per year by taking the burden of leftover paint management off county and city run solid waste facilities.

“Recycling one million gallons of paint is a real accomplishment. Reaching this milestone in just 18 months reflects on the amazing work of our partners and the willingness of Washingtonians to engage in a program that keeps paint out of landfills,” said Lauren Scher, Washington & Oregon Program Manager, PaintCare. “We’re thrilled with this progress and are dedicated to make it as easy as possible to dispose of paint responsibly in Washington state.”

By partnering with centrally located paint retail stores as drop-off sites, PaintCare makes it more convenient to drop off paint for reuse and recycle leftover paint throughout the year. The programs also offers free on-location pickup to businesses, organizations, and households with 100 gallons of paint or more to recycle. 

PaintCare’s Washington program is made possible by the state’s paint stewardship law (SHB 1652) and supported by a unique collaboration between local and state-wide governments and private sector businesses.

The paint stewardship law includes a small fee—called the PaintCare fee—on the sale of any new paint in the state, which funds all aspects of the program including paint collection, transportation, processing, and public education. Most PaintCare sites accept both latex and oil-based architectural paint products, including paints, stains, and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off in its original container, covered with its lid, and with its original manufacturer’s label.

Households and businesses can easily find the nearest drop-off site by visiting PaintCare’s online site locator. To view a full list of products accepted by the program, visit www.paintcare.org/products.

About PaintCare

PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households and businesses to recycle leftover paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. More than 1 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s Washington program since its launch in 2021. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @WeRecyclePaint.