Connecticut’s mandatory paint recycling program collected 6 percent more unused paint in fiscal 2018, continuing a steady growth trend since it launched five years ago.
The Connecticut Architectural Paint Stewardship Program collected 342,350 gallons of unused paint in fiscal year 2018, up from 322,568 the year before, nonprofit overseer PaintCare reported.
In all, the program has collected and processed more than 1.5 million gallons since 2013.
The program is financed by wholesale fees on paint sales that manufacturers must remit to PaintCare to operate the recycling effort. The fees range from 35 cents to $1.60, depending on the size of the paint container sold.
The program falls under the umbrella of “product stewardship” or “extended producer responsibility.”
Connecticut has similar programs for mattresses, electronic waste and mercury thermostats.
The paint program raised $3.6 million in fees last year from the sale of 5.8 million gallons of paint, which was more than enough to cover its $3.3 million in expenses.
Assuming that 10 percent of all sold paint goes unused, PaintCare said its recovery rate for the recent year was 5.9 percent, its highest yet in Connecticut.
Part of the reason for that is the program has grown the number of collection sites, mainly paint retailers, to 146, up from 127 in its first year.
