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, 聽these two reports reveal the successes and challenges of the PaintCare 聽program in five of the states in which it operates: California, 聽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 聽that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the state’s paint 聽stewardship program; 88% indicated that they would recommend that paint 聽retailers in other states participate in a similar recycling program.
- Paint stewardship can save local governments money: 76% of HHW programs 聽surveyed reported cost savings, at an average of $151,905 annually. In 聽addition, PaintCare has covered more than $52 million in transportation 聽and processing costs for leftover paint since 2009 – costs normally 聽borne by local governments.
- The PaintCare program creates more convenient options for residents: Before 聽the California PaintCare program launched in October 2012, there were 聽144 paint drop-off sites in the state. There are now over 733 drop-off 聽sites, including 583 at retail locations.
“From high retailer satisfaction to increased 聽recycling rates and government financial savings, these reports show 聽that the PaintCare program is working,” said Scott Cassel, chief 聽executive officer and founder of the Product Stewardship Institute. “This program is a prime example of how governments and businesses can 聽work together to realize significant environmental and economic 聽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 聽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 聽paint drop-off site has brought innumerable benefits to our store, 聽including increased foot traffic and customer loyalty,” said Travis 聽Garner, Yard Manager at Parr Lumber Company in Prineville, Oregon. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide this 聽convenient service to our customers while helping to protect the 聽environment.”
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