New paint recycling program announced

Jan. 12, 2009

The familiar sight of paint splattered buckets piled in garages and basements may become a thing of the past thanks to a new recycling program.

Last week, Recycle New Brunswick announced they are starting the first phase of a new initiative to recycle paint.

Recycle New Brunswick vice-chair Yves Gagnon said producers are responsible for the paint until it is sold, when it then it becomes the consumer's responsibility.

"A lot of it ends up in nature or the solid waste commissions."

But under the new system, it becomes the producer's responsibility to take back and recycle used paint into a product that has value, he said.

"You create a market for recycled paint."

During the first phase, paint producers identified an agent who will submit a proposal to Recycle New Brunswick on how they will collect used paint from consumers. The goal is to set up depots around the province where people can drop off old paint.

Gagnon said the different solid waste commissions around the province treat paint as a hazardous material and they dispose of most of it through burning. People often store the paint until their local solid waste commission has a hazardous waste pick-up day, he said.

"With the new system there's going to be a continuous system in places to recycle paint."

Gagnon said it is the first time in North America paint producers came together to work on a plan to recycle paint.

"That's quite innovative."

People are becoming more concerned about the environment and need to be educated about paint recycling, he said.

"We need to capitalize on the fact that the population is changing."

When reached for comment, Northumberland Solid Waste Commission waste reduction coordinator Amy Muzzerall didn't have any more information about the new program yet than the public did, but said product stewardship programs, like the recycling program, always benefit the people who pay the bills.

"I think it's very positive for all communities involved because it's very expensive to dispose of paint."

The Northumberland Solid Waste Commission collects paint in June and September during their regular hazardous waste pick-up and Muzzerall said she doesn't know yet how the program will work once it is implemented.

"I would imagine there's some cost savings in there, essentially for tax payers."

Muzzerall said the solid waste commission used two different companies in the past to dispose of the paint collected during the pick-up.

"The paint does get recycled."

Since she doesn't know the specifics of the new program, Muzzerall said she is making the assumption the solid waste commission will continue with the hazardous pick-ups until they hear otherwise.

"Since our next event's not until June we have quite a bit of time."