Jun 29 - Oregon DEQ Approves Plan for Oregon Paint "Take Back" Program
Oregon's pilot paint take-back program, first in the nation, officially begins July 1 and requires paint manufacturers to manage leftover paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has approved the paint product stewardship PaintCare program. PaintCare program is funded by paint manufacturers, and accepts unused paint from consumers at participating retailers and other sites for proper disposal. The pilot program is expected to collect as much as 600,000 gallons of leftover paint annually in Oregon, and is expected to be rolled out nationally.
The program stems from the Oregon Paint Product Stewardship law, passed by the 2009 Oregon Legislature. The law directed manufacturers of paints sold in Oregon to set up and run "a convenient, statewide system" for the collection of post-consumer latex and oil-based paint.
PaintCare is the non-profit organization created to administer the program. Consumers will pay for the program by paying a surcharge on paint and stain containers. PaintCare, in turn, will provide a series of depots statewide where people can drop off unused paint.
Alison Keane, Counsel for the American Coating Association says:
The paint industry has committed to properly managing leftover paint in Oregon, and we are ready to step up and assume that responsibility.
California has pending legislation, AB 1343 (Huffman) that would create paint product stewardship in CA.