PaintCare touts early recycling program milestones in Illinois

Elected officials and paint industry leaders recently gathered at the Illinois State Capitol for a press conference highlighting the early progress of the state’s new architectural paint recycling program.

The program, operated by nonprofit PaintCare, helps households and businesses recycle leftover paint, stain and varnish. Two months after the program’s Dec. 1, 2025, launch, PaintCare says it already has seen “strong participation” across the state, with a growing network of more than 340 drop-off site community partners.

PaintCare says the recycling program was made possible under the Paint Stewardship Act, which was passed by the state’s general assembly with bipartisan support and signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2023. The press conference featured remarks from a number of the legislation’s supporters and was attended by a number of advocates.

Of note, PaintCare IL Program Manager Ross Dudzik offered insights into the program’s progress to date, including the collection of an estimated 60,000 gallons of leftover paint during the first two months of the program.

“This program is a tremendous win for Illinois families, businesses and our environment,” says Illinois Sen. Linda Holmes. “For years, residents have been asking for a simpler, more responsible way to dispose of old paint, and I’m proud to have sponsored legislation that directly responds to that need. This program will provide more collection sites than in the past; I believe more convenient access, as additional drop-off sites join the system, will be an incentive to families and business owners to safely dispose of leftover paint and free up space in their homes and businesses.”

PaintCare says it estimates the Illinois program will manage nearly 1 million gallons of leftover paint in its first year with the help of its local drop-off site partners and communitywide events. The program has signed on 345 partners, with more onboarding planned, according to Michael W. Johnson, president and CEO of the American Coatings Association, which created PaintCare.

The drop-off sites primarily consist of paint and hardware retail stores, but also facilities owned by local government and nonprofit organizations. Each voluntarily collects leftover paint during regular business hours.

“The remarkable turnout and enthusiastic support from local leaders today confirmed what we already knew—Illinois was more than ready for this program,” Johnson says. “The collection numbers speak for themselves and serve as a strong indicator that the program is working, scaling effectively and meeting a significant need in communities statewide. The success is the direct result of focused leadership and unprecedented collaboration across policy, environmental advocacy, retailers and local communities. Today marks a major milestone and a strong foundation for what comes next.”

From its outset, the legislation was supported by a range of municipal and environmental organizations, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Illinois Product Stewardship Council and the Product Stewardship Institute.

“Seeing measurable participation so soon after launch shows that Illinois households and businesses are responding to expanded recycling options,” says Illinois EPA Director James Jennings. “Programs like this play an important role in supporting responsible materials management and strengthening recycling infrastructure across the state.”

PaintCare says its Illinois program follows similar paint stewardship laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. PaintCare says it manages collected paint according to a policy of “highest, best use,” which emphasizes making good-quality material available for immediate reuse, recycling or putting it to another beneficial use if it cannot be reused or recycled.

There is no cost to households and businesses when dropping off leftover paint for recycling. PaintCare says a small fee is placed on the sale of new paint and funds all aspects of the program, including paint collection, transportation, processing and public education.

PaintCare says its drop-off sites accept both latex and oil-based architectural paint products, including interior and exterior paints, primers, stains, sealers and varnishes. Products must be in original, nonleaking containers with the original manufacturer’s label visible. Businesses, organizations and households with 100 gallons of paint or more may request a free pickup at their location.

“Getting new partners up and running smoothly has been a major focus of the early rollout,” Dudzik says. “PaintCare’s field representatives are working directly with retailers across the state—supporting everything from onboarding to regular collection pickups—to make participation straightforward and simple from day one. That hands-on partnership allows the program to expand quickly while ensuring each new site is set up for success.”