PaintCare Washington: Paint Recycling Made Easy!

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.

man carrying leftover paint cans in a hardware store

man carrying leftover paint cans in a hardware store

Law

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.

Program Plan

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.

Products We Will Accept

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

House paint and primers (latex or oil-based)
Stains
Deck and concrete sealers
Clear finishes (e.g., varnishes, shellac)

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 manufacturer 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.

Fees

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, 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. You may see a line item on your receipt or invoice for each container of paint you purchase.

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.

Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Washington Program

PaintCare invites bids from qualified parties to provide collection support and transportation and processing services. Bidders may bid to service any or all of the four groups of sites/events identified in the scope of work within the RFP. The purpose of this RFP is to identify responsible bidder(s) whose response conforms to the RFP and whose bid, in the judgment of PaintCare, presents the greatest value to achieve the goals of the PaintCare program. Click here for more information.