Vermont Paint Take-Back, Recycling Bill Becomes Law

Vermont’s governor has signed into law the state’s paint take-back and recycling bill.

Gov. Peter Shumlin signed House Bill 262 that requires manufacturers to fund and operate a post-consumer paint take-back program in the state. The law aims for end-of-life management of architectural paint in Vermont while shifting the management and financial burden away from state and local governments, according to a news release from the Boston-based Product Stewardship Institute Inc. (PSI).

Funding for the Vermont program will come through a small per-container fee that manufacturers pay to PaintCare Inc., a non-profit organization created by the Washington-based American Coatings Association to oversee state programs. Manufacturers pass the fee onto retailers, who then pass it on to consumers. All architectural paint manufacturers have to register with the PaintCare program.

"This law ensures that we can keep household paints out of our landfills and out of people's storage closets, and do so with funding provided by manufacturers – not  taxpayers," said Jen Holliday, environmental safety compliance manager of the Chittenden Solid Waste District.

Vermont marks the sixth state in the United States to implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) paint law. Minnesota just adopted a similar law.

"This law would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership of the paint industry and the perseverance of other stakeholders," said Scott Cassel, PSI's CEO.