Twelve states now have paint recycling programs that allow consumers to bring those half-filled cans to drop-off sites. There’s a push to add Massachusetts to that group. “It’s kind of a waste of material because latex paint, if it’s less than 10 years old is still usable, it can be recycled into new paint,” said Waneta Trabert, who runs Newton’s recycling program and is working to get a statewide recycling program launched.
A bill filed on Beacon Hill would allow for a similar program to be implemented in Massachusetts. A small surcharge on each can of paint sold would fund the program. Trabert is working with an industry-supported non-profit, www.paintcare.org, to bring their program to Massachusetts if the bill becomes law.
She says, right now, taxpayers are paying a lot of money that they may not realize to dispose of paint. She believes this approach saves taxpayers money because municipalities would no longer have to deal with disposing of a usable product, or sponsor as many hazardous waste disposal days. At the end of the day, only people actually buying and using paint would be paying for it to be re-processed. “We have the potential to reduce our household hazardous waste expenses by about 50% and that really is a savings for everyone,” added Trabert.