Paint Project Goes Beyond Recycling

California Integrated Waste Management Board Supports Statewide Stewardship
Program

STOCKTON, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- San Joaquin County is developing a
statewide paint stewardship program aimed at reducing the 8-million gallons of
leftover paint Californians generate annually. Through a generous $400,000
grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), the
California Paint Stewardship Program will teach consumers how to buy the right
amount of paint, properly store leftovers, and provide reuse and recycling
options. For paint that cannot be reduced or reused, the project goal is to
increase collection of unused paint for recycling and stimulate the recycled
paint market.

Studies show that many consumers purchase too much paint, leading to large
volumes of leftover paint. California local governments spend approximately
$16 million annually to collect unused paint through Household Hazardous Waste
(HHW) programs. Taxpayers and garbage rate payers spend about $8 per gallon to
operate these programs. Because of the high cost, the CIWMB is interested in
finding long-term solutions that will reduce system costs by addressing source
reduction first, then reuse and recycling.

"Educating retailers and consumers on how to buy the right amount of paint and
donate or use-up what is left will cost far less than the taxpayer- and
ratepayer-funded collection systems currently in place," said Heidi Sanborn,
executive director of the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), the
primary contractor for the project.

CPSC is leading California's waste management reform by providing outreach and
education about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), also known as Product
Stewardship. EPR is a policy approach to place the primary responsibility for
end-of-life product management on producers while recognizing that all
entities involved in the product chain share responsibility.

San Joaquin County will collaborate with Tehama and San Francisco Counties to
implement the project, which will build on progress from the National Paint
Product Stewardship Initiative. The project will educate retailers, consumers
and governments about estimating the correct amount of paint for purchase,
opting to buy recycled paint and participating in paint exchanges. Partners
include Visions Paint Recycling, the National Paint and Coatings Association,
and other experts.

For more information about the project, contact San Joaquin County's HHW
Program Coordinator, Kimbra Andrews: 209.468.3066 or CPSC Executive Director
Heidi Sanborn: 916.480.9010. Project information will be posted on CPSC's
website, www.CalPSC.org.

SOURCE San Joaquin County

Kimbra Andrews, Household Hazardous Waste Program Coordinator,
+1-209-468-3066, or Heidi Sanborn, California Product Stewardship Council
Executive Director, +1-916-480-9010, both of San Joaquin County