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. The fee is paid to PaintCare by paint manufacturers and is then added to the wholesale and retail purchase price of paint, passing the cost of managing post-consumer paint to everyone who buys paint. You may see a line item on your receipt or invoice for each container of paint you purchase.
There is no charge for dropping off paint at a PaintCare drop-off site.
The PaintCare fee is not a tax; it does not go to the state to operate the program. The PaintCare fee is also not a deposit; you don’t get it back when you drop off paint–a common misunderstanding.
Fees fund all aspects of the paint stewardship program. This includes paint collection, transportation, recycling, public outreach, and program administration, and to manage “legacy” paint, material that has been accumulating in homes and businesses from before the program started.
The fees are based on container size as follows:
Container Size | Fee |
Half pint or smaller | $0.00 |
Larger than half pint up to smaller than 1 gallon | $0.45 |
1 Gallon up to 2 gallons | $0.95 |
Larger than 2 gallons up to 5 gallons | $1.95 |