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PaintCare is an industry-led organization created by the American Coatings Association on behalf of the paint industry. PaintCare, a 501c3 non-profit, was created to manage the end of life of paint and currently operates 11 programs in 10 states and the District of Columbia. PaintCare makes it more convenient for households and businesses to recycle unwanted or leftover paint, and the program offers many benefits for painting contractors in all PaintCare states: CA, CO, CT, DC, ME, MN, NY, OR, RI, VT, and WA.

During this presentation, Nick DiBartolo, Washington Program Coordinator at PaintCare, reviewed the benefits that painting contractors can receive through the PaintCare program. He also provided helpful information about the products we accept for recycling and how to qualify for a direct paint pickup at no additional cost.

“At the end of a project there may be paint left over, and before you know it, you have a whole garage full of paint,” says Nick DiBartolo. “When it’s filling up valuable space, call PaintCare and we’ll get a large volume pick up set for you to responsibly manage its end of life.”

Large Volume Pick Up Service (LVP)

Our large volume pickup (LVP) service is available to anyone with 100 gallons or more of paint to recycle. Contractors may request a paint pickup at their location if they have this amount of paint. To qualify for this service, you must have at least 100 gallons of paint, measured by container size, not liquid volume, and containers must be in their original cans and labeling. More information may be found on PaintCare’s website at www.paintcare.org/pickup.

How to Request an LVP Pick Up:

1. Sort and count your paint. Tally the number of each container size and the type of products you have, sorted into two categories:
   1. Water-based paints and stains, and
   2. Oil-based paint and stains and any other program products (sealers and clear top-coat products, such as varnish and shellac).
2. Fill out the request form. Fill out the Large Volume Pickup Request Form on our website (www.paintcare.org/pickup). Upon request, the form is also available as a PDF and can be returned to PaintCare by email or regular mail. Call PaintCare at (855) PAINT09. to request the printable form.

PaintCare In Your State

Painting contractors, businesses, and individuals can make use of the PaintCare program by utilizing the LVP program, and by taking paint to one of our 2,000 drop-off sites across the country. Contractors are welcome to drop off small quantities of paint at these locations or take advantage of PaintCare free large volume pick-up service based on amount. To find a drop-off location near you, use our drop-off site locator tool at www.paintcare.org/drop-off-sites/.

All PaintCare programs are funded by a fee (referred to as the PaintCare fee) which is applied to the purchase price of new paint sold in the state. There is no charge for dropping off paint at a PaintCare drop-off site, and the PaintCare fee is not a tax or deposit. The fee funds all aspects of the paint stewardship program, including education and paint collection.

When completing jobs in a PaintCare state, it is expected that painting contractors pass the PaintCare fee on to customers to recoup the price they pay. When estimating jobs, contractors should take the fee into account by checking with suppliers and ensuring quotes include the fee. Let your customers know that fee is included in your quotes and that the fee funds a statewide paint recycling program for you and your customer.

To date, PaintCare has processed more than 55 million gallons of paint nationally and saved state and local governments millions of dollars. Furthermore, nearly 70% of latex paint accepted for recycling is made into new content paint. To learn more about PaintCare in your state, contact your local PaintCare representative by visiting our website at www.paintcare.org and searching for your state. We currently operate programs in CA, CO, CT, DC, ME, MN, NY, OR, RI, VT, and WA.