Not wanting to not be caught short while painting an interior, many of us end up overdoing it, ending up with enough paint to practically do the whole job over again. But, if you’re in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I), you now have a new way to safely recycle leftover or unwanted paint.
This industry-led stewardship program kicked off September 1, 2012, operated by the Product Care Association on behalf of paint manufacturers and retailers in P.E.I. The Materials Recycling Amendment Regulations (P.E.I. Reg. EC2012-253) under the province’s Environmental Protection Act require a product stewardship program for all brand owners of paint.
P.E.I. paint companies must now imbed the following eco-fees into their products’ price tags:
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100 ml to 250 ml
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20¢
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251 ml to 1 litre
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35¢
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1.01 litres to 5 litres
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70¢
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5.01 litres to 23 litres
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$1.50
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Aerosol paint
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20¢
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“Our province has been diligently working to reduce the waste that ends up in our landfill system. The recovery and reuse of discarded paint is an important step forward in waste reduction and environmental responsibility,” said Janice Sherry, Minister of Environment, Labour and Justice, in a statement to media.
There are many ways that paint can be recycled. The highest quality latex paint is sorted out and turned back into recycled paint that can be used and still maintain comparable quality to new paint. In many cases, reusable paint of the same colour is pumped into a tank where the material is mixed and tested. The paint is adjusted with additives and colorants as necessary. Finally, the paint is fine-filtered and packaged for sale.
In cases where paint can’t be reused, it can be made into a product used in cement manufacturing.
“Islanders can continue to bring their discarded paint to drop-off points as they have since the Waste Watch system began, but now this unwanted paint will be given a new use instead of being treated as waste,” Sherry said.
Waste Watch ensures that waste is separated into three streams: recyclables, organic compostables and residual wastes.
There are equations that can be used to determine how much paint is needed per square inch. There are also ways to determine if that old paint stored in your cellar is still usable.
By the way, here are a few tips about how to tell whether your paint is still usable years later. http://www.ehow.com/how_2158288_tell-paint-still-good.html
For more information or to find a collection site, visit www.productcare.org/pei or call 1-888-280-8111.
About Product Care
Product Care is a not-for-profit industry association that manages product stewardship programs for household hazardous and special waste on behalf of its members across Canada. Product Care programs help protect the environment by diverting leftover and end-of-life products from landfills, waterways and sewers.
------This article originally appeared on ecolog.com, September 7, 2012------