Since its launch in 2009, PaintCare, the national nonprofit created by paint manufacturers to operate paint stewardship programs in states that have passed paint stewardship laws, has conducted more than 10,000 large volume pickups (LVP). While PaintCare provides a network of locations where the public can drop off small amounts of post-consumer (leftover) paint for recycling in 10 sates and the District of Columbia, they developed the LVP service to help consumers manage large stockpiles of paint.
The LVP service offers free, direct pickups for contractors, businesses, organizations, agencies, and others who have accumulated 100 or more gallons measured by container size (not liquid volume). Pickups are beneficial because they save consumers on waste disposal costs, free up valuable storage space, and ensure that paint will be recycled and reused as much as possible.
“The PaintCare process was extremely user friendly…I cannot recommend strongly enough the PaintCare recycling process for any organization having 15 or 1,500 gallons of paint needing disposal,” said Scott Durepo, Property Manager, Durp LLC, “PaintCare also offers the added benefit of knowing that the paint will be disposed using an environmentally safe method.” Eduardo Diez with the New York Department of Citywide Administrative Services said about the service, “I want to thank your org [sic] for the pickup. It was smooth, easy, and painless, something I am honestly not used to.”
To date, PaintCare has conducted more than 10,000 LVPs, picking up over 3 million gallons of leftover architectural paint through that service alone – this has contributed to more than 70 million gallons of paint collected through the PaintCare program’s drop-off sites, events, and other services. The continued success of the LVP service is due to businesses such as, but not limited to, painting contractors, real estate, education, construction and maintenance, retail, and more. The impact of the contributor’s collective efforts in paint recycling helps continue to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly solution for paint consumers.
PaintCare helps ensure the “highest, best use” for paint collected in the program, including giving away good quality material as-is, sending it to recyclers, or putting it to another beneficial use. Most of the paint PaintCare receives is latex-based and can be processed into recycled content paint by processors.