Americans generate more than 80 million gallons of leftover latex and oil-based paint each year. When dumped in the trash or down the drain, leftover paint can contaminate our environment with hazardous materials. But most paint is recyclable!

How can we recycle more paint and protect the environment? Extended producer responsibility. Beginning in 2003, PSI convened and facilitated a multi-stakeholder dialogue that included participation and support from the paint industry, state and local governments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and recycled paint manufacturers to develop a consensus model for paint EPR legislation. This is still the only EPR agreement in the United States to be signed by the U.S. EPA.

In 2009, Oregon used our model to enact the country’s first paint EPR law; since then, we have helped pass paint EPR legislation built on the same model. Today, there are paint EPR laws in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

Since 2010, paint EPR programs have recycled over 72% of collected latex paint, saved governments and taxpayers nearly $300 million, and established more than 2,000 collection sites, over 70% of which are at voluntary retail locations. More details are shared in this 2019 article, EPR Achievements: The Case of Paint in the U.S.

EPR programs like these incentivize the design of more sustainable products and build supply chains for those made with recycled materials, which are the building blocks of an emerging circular economy that protects our environment and builds a better future.

What can you do? Tell your representatives that you support paint stewardship in your state. Then, learn where to recycle or safely dispose of paint in your community.

If you’re a PSI Member or Partner, search our Resource Library for in-depth information on paint stewardship in the United States and around the world and our Legislation Library  for a history of paint EPR bills and laws in the U.S.