PAINT RECYCLING

In accordance to Public Act 11-24, an act establishing a Paint Stewardship program in Connecticut, the New Haven Solid Waste and Recycling Authority encourages New Haven residents and citizens across the State to take their leftover, unwanted, unusable, or unsalable paint to a participating paint recycler near you.

It’s more convenient than ever to recycle paint in Connecticut. Since the start of the Connecticut paint stewardship program in July 2013, PaintCare has set up 146 drop-off sites where the public can take unwanted, leftover paint for recycling. Most of these sites are at paint retailers (paint and hardware stores) that have volunteered to take back paint, and they are available to any household and businesses in Connecticut. These stores accept paint whenever they are open for business.

Places to Take Old Paint

Paint recycling is more convenient with PaintCare. We set up paint drop-off sites throughout Connecticut. To find your nearest drop-off site, use PaintCare’s search tool at www.paintcare.org or call our hotline at (855) 724-6809.

How to Recycle

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

All PaintCare drop-off sites accept up to five gallons of paint per visit. Some sites accept more. Please call the site in advance to make sure they 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 a drop-off site during their 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?

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

Businesses (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 but not for your oil-based paint. Contact PaintCare to learn more about this restriction.

Large Volume Pick-Up

If you have at least 200 gallons of paint to recycle at your business or home, ask about our free pick-up service. Please call for more details or to request an appointment.

PaintCare Fee

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

Not a Deposit

The fee is not a 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.

For more information about recycling and proper disposal of non-PaintCare products, please contact your garbage hauler, local environmental health agency, household hazardous waste program or public works department.