The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) released two reports today that shed light on how the industry-run PaintCare stewardship program benefits retailers, residents, contractors, and local governments. In one report, PSI evaluated the California paint stewardship program, while the other assessed how paint stewardship relates to existing local government-run programs that collect household hazardous waste (HHW) from residents. Together, these two reports reveal the successes and challenges of the PaintCare program in five of the states in which it operates: California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Vermont. Key takeaways from the two evaluations include:
- Retailers are highly satisfied with the PaintCare program: 85% of respondents from retail drop-off sites in California indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the state’s paint stewardship program; 88% indicated that they would recommend that paint retailers in other states participate in a similar recycling program.
- Paint stewardship can save local governments money: 76% of HHW programs surveyed reported cost savings, at an average of $151,905 annually. In addition, PaintCare has covered more than $52 million in transportation and processing costs for leftover paint since 2009 – costs normally borne by local governments.
- The PaintCare program creates more convenient options for residents: Before the California PaintCare program launched in October 2012, there were 144 paint drop-off sites in the state. There are now over 733 drop-off sites, including 583 at retail locations.
“From high retailer satisfaction to increased recycling rates and government financial savings, these reports show that the PaintCare program is working,” said Scott Cassel, chief executive officer and founder of the Product Stewardship Institute. “This program is a prime example of how governments and businesses can work together to realize significant environmental and economic benefits.”
Paint manufacturers established PaintCare, a non-profit organization dedicated to properly managing leftover paint while emphasizing reuse and recycling. In addition to partnering with local government programs to collect paint, PaintCare establishes retail drop-off locations throughout states with paint stewardship laws, increasing convenience for consumers and relieving local governments of the financial burden of managing leftover paint. “These reports highlight that the paint industry’s efforts to implement paint recycling have paid off; at the same time, they also provide insight into how we can make the recycling program even stronger,” said Marjaneh Zarrehparvar, executive director of PaintCare. “We’re pleased to hear that the program has been economically beneficial for both retailers and local governments, whose partnerships allow us to significantly increase paint recovery and convenience for the public.”
“Participating in the paint stewardship program as a paint drop-off site has brought innumerable benefits to our store, including increased foot traffic and customer loyalty,” said Travis Garner, Yard Manager at Parr Lumber Company in Prineville, Oregon. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide this convenient service to our customers while helping to protect the environment.”
For more information, visit www.productstewardship.us.