PaintCare, a national nonprofit organization that makes it easy to recycle leftover household paint, stain, and varnish, has announced that its New York program has now recovered more than one million gallons of architectural paint products. The paint was collected from households, schools, and businesses across the state through both community events and convenient drop-off locations. The organization has no plans of slowing down on collection efforts either, as it just opened its 300th recycling drop-off site to further expand its footprint across the state.
These major program milestones come just a few short months after PaintCare celebrated its one-year anniversary in New York on May 1. “To say we are excited about these program achievements is an understatement. We are truly thrilled to see this kind of success in New Yorkso early on,” said Andrew Radin, New York program manager. “When the program launched in May 2022, we knew it would take time to develop the right partnerships and build awareness about paint recycling, but we were determined to make an impact. Seeing consumers embrace paint stewardship, witnessing community leaders support our cause, and having retail and municipal partners step up to volunteer their own spaces as PaintCare drop-off sites is truly remarkable. It’s been a team effort and a great environmental win for New York that we can all celebrate.”
“DEC applauds PaintCare for the success of the Postconsumer Paint Collection Program and the diversion of more than one million gallons of paint products known to harm the environment if not managed properly,” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “This significant milestone reflects DEC’s commitment to build upon New York State’s nation-leading efforts to reduce waste at the source and prevent waste from heading to our landfills. By working together with PaintCare and other partners, DEC continues to advance a more sustainable future for New York State.”