Do you have leftover paint you need to get rid of?  Coloradoans now have access to year-round paint drop off locations where old and leftover paints can be recycled or disposed of at no charge to the consumer.

PaintCare, Inc. is a non-profit organization established by the American Coatings Association whose goals are to decrease paint waste and recycle leftover paint by setting up convenient drop-off sites for consumers.  Currently, PaintCare has programs in ten states, including Colorado, and the District of Columbia.

Last year, the 185 year-round collection sites in Colorado collected over 793,000 gallons of post-consumer paint.  For drop-off locations, go to www.paintcare.org/drop-off-sites and enter your zip code.

The program is funded through fees applied to the purchase price of architectural paint.  The fee is added to the wholesale and retail purchase price of paint and is then paid to PaintCare by paint manufacturers.  State law requires retailers to pass the fee on to consumers.  The fees range from $0.00 to $1.60 depending on the size of the container.  Most retail stores in PaintCare states show the fee on their receipts so that consumers are informed about the PaintCare program.

Products accepted at PaintCare drop-off sites are:

• interior and exterior architectural paints – latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coatings)
• deck coatings and floor paints (including elastomeric)
• primers, sealers, and undercoaters
• stains
• shellacs, lacquers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
• waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellents (not tar or bitumen-based)
• metal coatings and rust preventatives
• field and lawn paints

PaintCare sites do not accept aerosol products, industrial maintenance or specialty coatings, nor will they accept paint thinners/solvents, art and crafts paints, caulking, roof patch and repair, etc.  For more information about PaintCare, Inc. and the paint stewardship program, please visit its website at www.paintcare.org.