HOW TO RECYCLE

PaintCare sites accept all brands of old house paint, stain and varnish-even if they 20 years old! Containers must be five gallons or smaller, and a few types of paints are not accepted. See our list of what you can recycle below.

All PaintCare drop off sites accept at least five gallons of paint per visit. Some sites accept more. Please call in advance to make sure we can accept the amount of paint you would like to recycle.

Make sure all containers of paint have lids and original labels, and load them securely in your vehicle. Take them to the drop-off site during our regular business hours. We'll take it from there. 

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PAINT?

PaintCare will make sure that your leftover paint is remixed into recycled paint, used as a fuel, made into other products or properly disposed.

WHO CAN USE THE PROGRAM?

Residents bringing paint from their home can bring as much latex or oil-based paint as the site is willing to accept.

Business (painting contractors and others) can use this program with one restriction: If your business produces more than 220 pounds (about 20-30 gallons) of hazardous waste per month, you may use the drop-off sites for your latex paint only and not for your oil-based paint. To learn more about the restriction, contact PaintCare.

LARGE VOLUME PICK-UP

If you have at least 100 gallons of paint to recycle from your business or home, ask about our pick-up service. Please call for details or to request an appointment.

PAINTCARE RECOVERY FEE

PaintCare is funded by a fee paid by paint manufactures for each can of paint they sell in the state. Manufacturers pass the fee to retailers, who then apply it to the price of the paint. Stores can choose whether or not to show the fee on their receipts. Fees are based on the size of container as follows:

NOT A DEPOSIT

The fee is not a returnable deposit - it is part of the purchase price. The fees are used to pay the costs of running the program: recycling, public education, staffing and other expenses. Please visit www.paintcare.org to learn more.

CALIFORNIA PAINT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

Each year about 650 million gallons of architectural paint is sold in the United States. Did you know that about 10 percent goes unused and is available for recycling?

California's Paint Stewardship Law requires the paint manufacturing industry to develop a financially and environmentally sustainable program to manage postconsumer  architectural paint. The program includes: education about buying the right amount of paint, tips for using up remaining paint and setting up convenient recycling locations throughout the state.

PaintCare is a non-profit organization establishes by paint manufactures to run the program in California and any state with a paint stewardship law.