Product Stewardship

Paint

In 2009 Oregon became the first state in the nation to enact a law requiring paint manufacturers to safely manage leftover latex and oil-based paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs. This historic product stewardship legislation responds to the problem of managing leftover paint - the largest component of local household hazardous waste collection programs. An estimated ten percent of the more than 7.5 million gallons of architectural paint sold each year in Oregon is unused. This difficult-to-manage waste can be captured for reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or safe disposal, but doing so requires public awareness and a convenient and effective local infrastructure, currently beyond most local budgets and capacity.

The paint stewardship pilot program collected 900,000 gallons of leftover paint in the first two years. Paint recycling is now more convenient throughout the state, particularly in areas where local governments do not offer paint recycling opportunities. Communities that were underserved have new services. In July 2010, the paint industry started a program to reduce paint waste, increase reuse and recycling, and safely dispose of remaining unusable paint. Costs for safely managing leftover paint are incorporated in the purchase price of new paint.

This new law ties into the wider producer responsibility movement, in which Oregon is a national leader. Producer responsibility means manufacturers take responsibility for reducing the life cycle impacts of a product, including internalizing the end-of-life management costs, rather than having government set up and fund collection programs for waste products. The U.S. movement has resulted in 19 state electronics laws (including Oregon E-Cycles), seven state thermostat laws, one fluorescent lamp law, and several laws on batteries and auto switches.

• Paint collection sites
  A map-based collection site finder on the Product Care Association Web site.

Legislative

• Legislative Concept 574
  LC 574 modifies the Paint Product Stewardship law passed in 2009 (HB 3037). The concept seeks to make the pilot program permanent, and make changes to improve the program for the benefit of consumers buying paint, the paint industry, Oregon's environment and DEQ.
  
• House Bill 2191 - Enrolled
  2011 Legislation
• House Bill 3037 - Enrolled
  2009 Legislation
• DEQ Legislative Report: Oregon's Paint Product Stewardship Law
  November 2011 (2.6MB, 85 pages)

PaintCare

• PaintCare
  Website for the Oregon Paint Stewardship Pilot Program
• Paint Product Stewardship Pilot Program Annual Report 2012 (3MB)
• Paint Product Stewardship Pilot Program Annual Report 2011
  • Report only
  • Appendices only (5.5MB)
• PaintCare Oregon Paint Stewardship Pilot Program Plan PDF
  • Brands List
    Appendix F of the Pilot Program Plan
  • Participant/Producer List

Other

• 2011 Evaluation of the Oregon Paint Product Stewardship Program (10MB, 97 pages)
  EPA report, on the Paint Product Stewardship Program Web site.
• Paint Product Stewardship Stakeholder Meetings
  Follow this link to information from past meetings.
• Paint Smart Pilot Program: Evaluation and Final Report, September 1998
  Prepared by Cascadia Consulting Group

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