More than 900,000 gallons of leftover paint were collected in 2023 for recycling from households and businesses in Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota – (May 3, 2024) – Since 2014, PaintCare has made it easy and convenient for Minnesotans to recycle close to 9 million gallons of leftover paint. PaintCare’s Minnesota program collected and processed close to one million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish from all over the state in 2023, according to PaintCare’s annual report for Minnesota, an increase from the year prior.
PaintCare’s Minnesota program had 269 year-round paint drop-off sites in 2023, including paint retailers, household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities, and reuse stores. During the year, 98.3% of Minnesota residents lived within 15 miles of a drop-off site, an increase from 2022. In Minnesota, PaintCare’s success is driven in part by partnerships with local paint retailers and government facilities, providing convenient drop-off sites for leftover paint.
“We are proud to have helped Minnesotans collect and recycle close to nine million gallons of paint since 2014,” said Jacob Saffert, Minnesota & Illinois Program Manager, PaintCare. “Collecting nearly one million gallons of paint in 2023 is a great achievement. We are committed to making it easy and convenient to collect paint across the state for recycling and other beneficial uses.”
PaintCare works with its program partners in Minnesota to ensure collected paint is managed according to “highest, best use,” meaning that as much paint as possible is reused, recycled back into paint, or put to some other beneficial use. PaintCare works with partners to transport paint from drop-off sites to processing facilities, where it is remixed into recycled-content paint, made available as-is through reuse or giveaway programs, used as fuel, or in other applications.
Of the 909,697 gallons of paint collected in Minnesota last year, 82% was latex paint and 18% was oil-based paint. Of the latex paint collected, 61% was reused or recycled back into paint. Of the oil-based paint collected, 90% was reused or processed for energy recovery. This one-page infographic highlights the successes from the most recent reporting period (January to December 2023) for the Minnesota PaintCare program.
PaintCare is a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by paint companies through the American Coatings Association (ACA) to manage leftover paint in states that have enacted paint stewardship laws. PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. PaintCare also offers free direct pickups to businesses, organizations, and households with 100 gallons or more of leftover paint.
The program is funded by a nominal fee on new paint sales: 49 cents for pints and quarts, 99 cents for one- to two-gallon containers, and $1.99 for larger than two-gallon up to five-gallon containers. The fee funds paint collection, transportation, recycling, retailer training, and public education in Minnesota. All retailers must include the fee on their paint sales.
For more information on PaintCare and to find a local drop-off site, please visit www.paintcare.org. Annual reports from the Minnesota program are located at https://www.paintcare.org/minnesota-official-docs/.
About PaintCare in Minnesota
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. More than 8.8 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s Minnesota program since its launch in 2014. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram @WeRecyclePaint.