Under PaintCare™ CPCA manufacturer members adhere to the following guidelines in program development and implementation:

  • An industry-run product stewardship organization collects and allocates funds for the full costs of recycling with full transparency
  • A consumer-based cost recovery system provides a level playing field for manufacturers and retailers
  • Legislation and regulation or some form of government oversight is most often used to protect industry from anti-competitive issues particularly with respect to the financing system
  • The best approach is to have costs fully transparent to the consumer to reinforce the benefits of recycling as a central part of overall consumer education
  • Consumer education is a cornerstone of the system to reduce the volume of leftover paint and the overall costs of managing leftover paint
  • Paint collection and management must be cost-effective to lessen the impact on both industry and the consumer, but mandatory collection and recycling targets are not appropriate for paint given that it is a consumable product
  • Consideration is given to leftover paint collection in rural areas and in areas where cans of paint are less than one-third full
  • Oil-based paint should be collected primarily for fuel blending due to its ignitability and lack of suitable recycling options
  • There is no mandatory “take-back” at retail locations, although retailers and manufacturers may take-back product voluntarily as an obligated steward
  • Industry partners and government infrastructure must work toward sharing the cost and responsibility of managing post-consumer paint for the benefit of the environment and human health
  • Existing government collection infrastructure, where available, should be used and where it is non-existent the program may need to subsidize new collection system infrastructure

Paint Stewardship Program Operators in Canada

Canada is fortunate to have three strong program operators for post-consumer paint in Canada, which are not-for-profit organizations that subscribe to the principles outlined under PaintCare™. They fulfill the manufacturer member requirements as the “obligated stewards” named in provincial legislation for post-consumer waste paint collection programs. It is a FREE service for paint collection sites and FREE for consumers who wish to properly dispose of their leftover paint.

For details of the locations to drop-off your leftover paint and see the ongoing success in each province, please visit the website of the three program operators noted below.