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Groups Launch Can-Label Initiative for Leftover Paint

Friday, April 2, 2010

The American Coatings Association (ACA) and Earth911 jointly announced a program to promote on-product labels on paint and coatings products to help paint users understand what to do with their spent or leftover products.

The labels, developed by PaintCare Inc.—a nonprofit association established to manage the Oregon Paint Stewardship Program—will direct paint buyers to recycling and disposal options available in their area, helping to ensure that the products are safely managed at their end of life. PaintCare oversees the reuse, recycling and proper disposal of leftover paint.

“Paint disposal is going to become an increasingly important initiative as more states adopt legislation similar to Oregon’s,” said Earth911 CEO Colt Melby. “We are excited to offer the members of the ACA an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by providing responsible end-of-use solutions that follow the principles of product stewardship.”

Earth911 gathers, distributes and analyzes localized recycling information to assist manufacturers, organizations and consumers with product end-of-use solutions. The ACA is a trade association that works to advance the needs of the paint and coatings industry, and represents paint and coatings manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, distributors, and technical professionals.

Paint was one of the top five most-searched-for products on the Earth911.com Recycling Directory during 2009, indicating that consumers are concerned about what to do with their leftover paint and coatings, the organization said. Major paint companies Behr and Masterchem, the maker of the Kilz brand, have adopted the labels on their products in accordance with the ACA/Earth911 program, helping to ensure their products are recycled or disposed of responsibly, Earth911 said.

“The Earth911/ACA partnership will advance our industry’s efforts to provide effective solutions for post-consumer paint management,” said Alison Keane, ACA counsel, government affairs. “This new initiative equips our industry with a valuable means to continue providing consumer education on this important issue.”

ACA carried out several projects to provide the necessary information to form the basis for development and implementation of a nationally coordinated post-consumer paint management system. After more than five years of effort promoting a model solution for post-consumer paint management, ACA was instrumental in passage of the first-ever paint product stewardship law in the U.S., in Oregon.

More information about the importance of buying the right amount of paint for a job, reusing and recycling leftover paint, or finding a collection center is available on the website located at www.paintcare.org.