PaintCare to operate statewide in Illinois

A program operated by PaintCare Inc. in Illinois that started early this month has been designed to recover and recycle or repurpose leftover paint generated by homeowners and small businesses.

According to PaintCare, the new recycling program enables households and businesses to recycle leftover paint, stain and varnish through an expected collection network of more than 250 drop-off sites in the state.

PaintCare, a Washington-based nonprofit organization created by paint companies that comprise the membership of the American Coatings Association (ACA), says the program relies on partnerships with paint and hardware retail stores and local government facilities.

"We're excited to bring PaintCare to Illinois, giving families and businesses, easy, year-round options for recycling leftover paint," says Michael W. Johnson, CEO of the ACA. "Our goal is to make it easy and convenient to 'recycle the rest,' creating a responsible solution for our industry that benefits everyone who uses paint and the environment."

The paint recycling program is a response to a paint stewardship law that was passed unopposed by the Illinois Legislature and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023.

Under this law, paint manufacturers are required to develop and implement a cost-effective paint stewardship program that will reduce the generation of leftover paint, promote paint reuse and recycling, and manage the postconsumer paint waste stream using environmentally sound management practices. Oversight for the program will be provided by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"The launch of the PaintCare program represents an important step forward in expanding crucial recycling options for Illinois households and businesses," Illinois EPA Director James Jennings says.

PaintCare's Illinois program follows similar paint stewardship laws and programs in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont and the state of Washington, plus a program that is being developed for Maryland.

Its sites accept both latex and oil-based paint products, including interior and exterior paints, primers, stains, sealers and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off in its original container with its original manufacturer's label.

"Illinois paint and hardware retailers, along with local government facilities, are essential partners in this effort," says Ross Dudzik, Illinois Program Manager for PaintCare. “Their willingness to volunteer space and serve as convenient drop-off locations is truly the backbone of this program. We look forward to welcoming additional partners and helping communities across Illinois recover and recycle hundreds of thousands of gallons of leftover paint."

Information about drop-off minimum and maximum amounts and other program details can be found on the Illinois PaintCare website.