New Yorkers can recycle leftover paint free of charge

More than 300 sites to open across the state for drop-offs

New York this month is starting a paint recycling program for residents to drop off at designated centers.

The New York State Postconsumer Paint Collection Program was approved more than two years ago, but began May 1, allowing both residential and commercial users to recycle leftover paint, rather than sending it to landfills or incinerators.

The program is operated by Paintcare, a nonprofit group established by the paint industry for recycling.

The program accepts latex and oil-based paints and similar products at drop-off sites throughout the state.

Paintcare is setting up a network of more than 300 drop-off sites across the state made up of paint retailers, local government facilities and reuse stores.

Local sites can be found at https://www.paintcare.org/drop-off-sites/. Many of the sites are local paint or hardware stores.

The town of Clifton Park recently announced it is a drop-off location.

Sites will accept up to 5

gallons per customer per visit and some sites may accept more.

Paint should be in original containers with intact labels that identify the product.

The program is funded by a fee on the sale of all new paint in the state. That can range from free for containers of half a pint or smaller, to $1.95 for containers larger than 2 gallons.

The program will provide for continuous and convenient collection year-round and accept all program products regardless of when they were purchased.

No longer will you have to plan to bring unwanted oilbased paints for collection at your local household hazardous waste collection event, or dry out unwanted latex paint for household trash pickup.

Businesses, organizations, and households with 100 gallons of paint or more to recycle can request a free pickup at their location, though some restrictions may apply. Submit a request form through Paintcare’s website.

Additional program information can be found at the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s NYS Postconsumer Paint Collection Program webpage located at https:// www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/120606.html.