Leading the World in Post-Consumer Paint Recycling
The coatings industry in Canada leads the world in post-consumer paint recycling with a program in every province. In 2017, 28 million kilograms of leftover paint was recovered and recycled. This represents enough to paint 560,000 average size homes. One of CPCA’s primary goals, on behalf of its members, is to ensure ‘appropriate’ regulations are in place to achieve the best possible outcomes for the environment.
CPCA members have been supporting the effective operations and efficient administration of product stewardship programs in Canada since the early 1990s. Unused or leftover architectural paint continues to be a major focus of product stewardship efforts because of its high volume in the household hazardous waste stream, the high cost to manage and its potential for increased reduction, recovery, reuse and recycling.
Éco-peinture is the program operator in Quebec, Alberta Recycling Management Authority in Alberta and Product Care in eight Canadian provinces, and all have worked hard to ensure an environmentally sound and cost-effective program in each province.
Paint manufacturers, CPCA members, pay 100 per cent for the end-of life management of leftover paint, which covers such things as collection, transportation, storing, recycling and the related logistics and administration. CPCA continues to liaise with provincial governments that seek to establish new legislation and/or regulations related to waste management.
Positive Outcomes
of Paint Recycling
28 Million Kilograms
Paint Recycled in 2017
560,000 average size homes
Painted with 28 million kgs
3,000 Drop-off Sites
For your leftover paint
in Canada
13 Gallons of Water
Saved using one gallon
of recycled paint
100 Percent of Costs
Paid by producers
for paint recycling
Industry Commitment
PaintCare™ represents the paint industry’s commitment to environmentally sound and cost-effective, end-of-life management for leftover paint, which is fully funded by the producers (100 per cent).
Circular Economy
PaintCare™ was an early adopter of a circular economy approach for leftover, post-consumer paint. Product stewardship is a product-centred approach to environmental protection. It calls on those in the product lifecycle—manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers—to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.
End-of-life Cost
Product stewardship is NOT a principle for merely shifting the cost burden for a product’s end-of-life management to producers. Producers establish end-of-life management programs for their products by financing and operating their own private, market-based systems governed by legislation in local jurisdictions.
Product Care
Product Care’s operates paint recycling programs for CPCA members in Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick & PEI.
Éco-Peinture
Éco-peinture making your paint recycling easy in Québec.
Alberta Recycling
ARMA keeping paint out of landfills in Alberta.