Paint Recycling Program Celebrates Continued Success in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its launch in June of 2014, PaintCare's paint stewardship program in Rhode Island has continued to expand and find growing success. To-date, PaintCare has collected and processed more than 305,231 gallons of leftover paint in Rhode Island. In addition, the program is also responsible for recycling 61 tons of metal and plastic containers in the state, during the 2018 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018).

The PaintCare program in Rhode Island currently boasts a network of 32 year-round drop-off sites that will accept unused paint. The majority of drop-off sites (27) are paint retailers that accept paint from the public during their regular business hours. More than 99 percent of Rhode Island residents live within 15 miles of a year-round drop-off site.

Unique to Rhode Island, a single entity, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC), provides all of the state's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection services through their Eco-Depots. Since June 2014, PaintCare has managed all paint collected through the RIRRC's Eco-Depots, which include a year-round facility, as well as multiple drop-off events throughout the year. In the 2018 Fiscal Year, RIRRC's year-round facility was open for paint collection on 15 dates, and PaintCare managed paint from 33 RIRRC drop-off events.

In addition, PaintCare provided 22 direct large volume pick-ups from businesses and institutions that had accumulated more than 200 gallons of paint at their facilities.

PaintCare Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was established by paint manufacturers (paint producers) to implement and operate paint stewardship programs in U.S. states and jurisdictions that have passed paint stewardship laws. Today, PaintCare manages nine (9) paint recycling programs around the country, including California, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia.

The program is funded by a nominal fee on new paint sales: 35 cents for pints and quarts, 75 cents for one gallon cans, and $1.60 for larger containers up to five gallons. This fee has remained consistent over the past four years, and is responsible for funding paint collection, transportation, recycling, retailer training, and promotion in Rhode Island. Although all retailers must include the fee on their paint sales, participation as a drop-off site is optional.

A large part of this program's success in Rhode Island has been due to the overwhelming support that PaintCare has received from participating retailers, paint professionals, state legislators, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and residents who are choosing to do their part.

"We are pleased with the continued success of this program in Rhode Island," said Program Manager Laura Honis, "and are grateful to all of our valued retail partners."

For more information on PaintCare and to find a local drop-off site, please visit www.paintcare.org. Find complete annual reports on PaintCare's program at www.paintcare.org/paintcare-states/rhode-island/#/official-docs.

Click the link below to view a one-page infographic highlighting the successes from the most recent reporting period for the Rhode Island PaintCare Program (July 2017 to June 2018). Rhode Island residents are encouraged to download and print a copy of the infographic and then post it for staff and the public at your business or organization. 

View/Download Infographic

About PaintCare
PaintCare is a non-profit organization established by the American Coatings Association to implement Paint Stewardship Programs on behalf of the paint manufacturers in states that pass paint stewardship laws. To learn more about PaintCare, please visit www.paintcare.org. For press photos, visit www.paintcare.org/press-images.

PaintCare was recently awarded the 2018 Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award from the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) for its impact on sustainable materials management in four New England States: Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

CONTACT
Brett Rodgers
Director of Communications
(202) 719-3707 • brodgers@paint.org

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SOURCE PaintCare