Rather than letting leftover paint stack up in your garage, Sacramento County Waste Management and Recycling (WMR) will take your unused paint and recycle it – at no additional cost to you; thanks to a new program called “PaintCare.”
“This paint program is extremely beneficial to County residents. While most major brand-name paint stores may accept leftover or unused paint, most big-box stores don’t,” said Doug Kobold, Waste Management Program Manager. “Our North Area Recovery Station Household Hazard Waste facility and our Kiefer Landfill, a facility that handles batteries, antifreeze, oil and paint, both accept paint products at no additional charge to our residents.”
Small businesses may also bring leftover or unused paint to either facility for a nominal administrative fee.
This paint program isn’t just convenient for residents; it’s good for the environment. Every year WMR receives approximately 45,000 gallons of paint. That’s enough to paint the outside of the White House 78 times, according to WhiteHouse.Gov. In mid-2013, WMR partnered with Visions Paint Recycling Inc., and Clean Harbors Inc., to not only dispose of this paint for free, but also to recycle it for future use.
“These companies are able to remix and re-blend leftover paint and sell it at lowered prices without sacrificing quality,” said Kobold.
Latex-based paints can be repurposed to create paints, primers, and wall texturizers. While, oil-based paints can be used to produce alternative fuel sources. Prior to the PaintCare program, WMR was paying $2.65 a gallon to dispose of latex paint, and $3.05 per gallon of oil-based paint. Now, the current program saves approximately $140,000 every year.
Kobold, added, “The paint program also includes other locations. Visit paintcare.org/California, and enter your address to find the nearest paint drop-off locations.”
For more information about the Sacramento County PaintCare Program, or about other recycling programs, visit SacGreenTeam.com.
Writer: Danielle Spang, Communication and Media Intern