Ever had a paint job done at your house? If so, you’ll be familiar with what it entails – taped-up windows, shrouded furniture, the caustic smell of wet paint…and an annoying array of half-used paint cans.

Extra paint is handy for touch-ups, but at some point, the teetering, rusting stack of pints and gallons simply must go. The problem is, where to?

In the past, the main paint disposal options included government-run household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities, which might be a long commute away. With limited hours and locations, it could be tricky to rid oneself of a lot of unwanted paint. Or, there was always (unfortunately) the trash.

Luckily, in Oregon and seven other states, the nonprofit PaintCare has stepped up to offer an accessible paint stewardship program. It’s an organization founded by the American Coatings Association to rescue postconsumer paint for energy recovery, reuse, recycling or safe disposal. PaintCare has a slew of drop-off sites in every state, and partners with paint retailers who volunteer to take paint back.

This week at PRP we featured PaintCare Oregon on our award-winning Community Voices series, where we spotlight an organization that’s making a difference in our city, state, nation – or even the world. To listen to interviews with key members of Paint Care Oregon, listen to the podcasts below:

Roy Weedman, PaintCare Oregon Program Manager

Jim Quinn, MetroPaint Hazardous Waste Program Manager

Jeremy Jones, PaintCare West Coast Program Manager

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