California is Poised to Expand Successful PaintCare Program

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): SB 1143 (Allen) received final, bipartisan approval from the California Legislature to expand California’s safe management of hazardous paint products through the extended producer responsibility (EPR) program, PaintCare. “We have another tremendous opportunity for California to build on successful EPR policy,” said Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica). “Since its establishment in 2012, PaintCare has helped manage the reuse, recycling, and end-of-life management of millions of gallons of paint. However, current limitations on accepted paint products is needlessly confusing consumers, burdening local governments, and harming our environment. SB 1143 would remove these limitations to better streamline PaintCare’s operations in California.”

Roughly 850 million gallons of architectural paint are sold annually in the United States, and it is estimated that 10 percent of this paint goes unused and becomes a large source of household hazardous waste (HHW). To help manage this excess in California, PaintCare launched in 2012 and has since collected 34.6 million gallons of paint through 795 year-round drop off sites. The program also maintains a public education initiative to provide tips on buying the appropriate amount of paint and how consumers can use up their excess paint.

Despite these successes, we continue to limit which types of products PaintCare may collect. This places undue financial strains on local governments, confuses consumers, and may lead to the improper disposal of hazardous paint that contaminates our soil and waterways- impacting our environmental and public health. To begin addressing this, AB 1526 (Committee on Natural Resources, 2023) was signed into law last year to include aerosol coatings under the program.

SB 1143 builds on these efforts by expanding PaintCare to cover every type of paint product available to consumers. This would bring management of all excess hazardous paints under one stewardship program to enhance efficiency and ensure appropriate producer responsibility for one of the most significant sources of HHW. The bill was introduced in February to establish EPR for a broader scope of HHW, but was amended in the Assembly Appropriations Committee earlier this month to more narrowly focus on the paint products not currently covered by PaintCare. Negotiations remain ongoing to address more of these HHW products in the coming year.

“Passing EPR framework legislation is a multi-year process, and we made enormous progress this first year,” said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council. “What was best for California was to ensure the PaintCare expansion got done to keep costs down and the program working, and then tackle the rest of the HHW stream next year allowing more time for negotiation. We appreciate PaintCare for working with us and being willing to accept the remaining paint products into the existing program Californians know and love.”

It is important to note that SB 1143 was advocated for by both environmental justice stakeholders and the paint manufacturing industry. “The paint and coatings industry is ready to meet the new challenges ahead for its industry-led stewardship program in California,” said Heidi McAuliffe, Vice President of Government Affairs, American Coatings Association. “PaintCare has a strong record of success in helping Californians drop off their house paint for recycling, reuse, and other responsible management, and we look forward to building on that success to incorporate additional materials with the passage of SB 1143. ACA is grateful for Senator Allen’s willingness to work with our industry to develop the framework for these expanded services.”

SB 1143 is now heading to the Governor’s desk.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com