Washington

It will soon be more convenient than ever to recycle paint in Washington. Once the Washington paint stewardship program officially launches, PaintCare will offer drop-off sites throughout the state where the public can take unwanted paint for recycling.

These sites will be available to households, businesses, government agencies, and others with leftover paint in Washington.

The Washington paint stewardship program is required by the Washington Paint Product Stewardship Act (HB 1652), signed by Governor Jay Inslee on May 9, 2019.

PaintCare’s plan for Washington will be developed over the next year and requires approval by the state’s oversight agency, Washington State Department of Ecology. Once finalized, this plan will describe the program’s paint collection and management system, public outreach, program costs, the fee amounts assessed on new paint sales, and other proposed elements for the Washington Paint Stewardship Program. The program is expected to launch in 2020.

Once the program launches, PaintCare sites in Washington will accept the following at participating drop-off locations:

• house paint
• primers
• stains
• sealers
• clear coatings (e.g., shellac and varnish)

The architectural paint products we accept are referred to as “PaintCare Products” and must be in containers that are no larger than 5 gallons in size. PaintCare Products must be in their original container with original label and secure lid. PaintCare does not accept spray paint (aerosols) or anything in containers larger than 5 gallons. We cannot accept open or leaking cans. Please review our detailed list of PaintCare Products vs. Non-PaintCare Products.

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. Once the program launches, you may see a line item on your receipt or invoice for each container of paint you purchase. The fee is paid to PaintCare by paint manufacturers. This fee 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. There will be 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. Fees in Washington have not been set yet. They will be proposed in the program plan, which must be approved by the Department of Ecology.