On January 8, 2026, PaintCare submitted a revised Paint Stewardship Program Plan to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), requesting an increase of the fee assessed on the sale of architectural coatings (e.g., house paint, stain, and varnish) in Oregon.
Pending approval by DEQ, the fee increase will take effect January 1, 2027.
Since starting in 2010, the Oregon PaintCare program has processed more than ten million gallons of leftover paint for recycling or safe disposal. However, over the past few years, paint management costs have increased, and paint sales have slowed resulting in the need for a fee increase in Oregon to ensure the program can be sustained into the future.
For more information, please see the revised Oregon Paint Stewardship Program Plan and its accompanying cover letter, which present the financial position of the program and address the proposed fee structure change. These documents can be found here.
Proposed Oregon Fee Structure
Based on the projected paint sales, revenue, and expenses, PaintCare proposes the following increases in the program fee structure:
| Container Size | Current Fee | Proposed Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Half pint or smaller | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Larger than half pint up to smaller than 1 gallon | $0.45 | $0.65 |
| 1-2 gallons | $0.95 | $1.45 |
| Larger than 2 gallons up to 5 gallons | $1.95 | $2.75 |
Once the proposed fee is approved by DEQ, PaintCare will follow up to notify you.
Manufacturers will be strongly encouraged to communicate with their dealers and customers in Oregon about the fee increase and the effective date. At that time, dealers and retailers should prepare to see the fee increase on invoices from their suppliers and evaluate their billing and point-of-sale systems to accommodate the fee change.
Please contact Lauren Scher, Oregon Program Manager, at or (503) 410-1648 if you have any questions.