PaintCare Celebrates Earth Day with Recycling Tips for Californians

PaintCare, a national nonprofit organization that makes it easy for consumers and businesses to recycle leftover paint, is honoring Earth Day by reminding Californians to focus on recycling right today and all year.

The global organizer of Earth Day is declaring that now is “the moment to change it all” and take action on climate. Its 2022 theme, Invest in our Earth, urges immediate action to protect the lives we know and enjoy.

California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) oversees the state’s recycling and waste management programs, maintaining a national lead in recycling, with a 65% diversion rate for all materials. California has a robust recycling infrastructure that includes beverage containers, organic material, electronic waste, carpet, used oil, paint, and mattresses. Yet, there is always room for improvement in educating Californians about what, where, and how to recycle.

“We’re aware that many Californians may not know the proper way to dispose of unwanted paint that they’re storing in their homes or businesses,” said Nichole Dorr, California program manager for PaintCare. “Earth Day is the ideal time to remind people to take stock of their supplies and make a point of recycling what they can.”

The most sustainable way to paint is to buy the right amount and use it up. If you have leftover paint, PaintCare’s website makes it easy to enter a zip code, city, state, or street address to find the nearest, most convenient paint drop-off site. All PaintCare sites accept up to five gallons per visit, and some take more. PaintCare strives to have as much paint reused as possible—if it can’t be reused, the next best option is recycling it.

California prohibits disposing of latex and oil-based paint in the garbage, down storm drains, or onto the ground. To ensure paint is recycled properly, PaintCare’s program provides 820 year-round sites where households and businesses can bring in paint for recycling. The organization makes it easy for consumers to recycle by ensuring that 99% of California residents live within 15 miles of a year-round drop-off site.

“Staying educated on the newest options available in recycling is critical to doing our utmost in protecting the earth,” Dorr added. “PaintCare is proud to have collected more than 4 million gallons of paint in California during the 2021 fiscal year of which 92% of latex paint was reused, recycled, or destined for beneficial use, keeping it out of landfills and protecting our communities."

About PaintCare in California

PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households, businesses, and institutions to recycle postconsumer (leftover) paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. Nearly 30 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s California program since its launch in 2012. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @WeRecyclePaint.