Washington Passes Paint Stewardship Bill

JUNE 12, 2019

The state of Washington has passed House Bill 1652, creating a statewide product stewardship program for paint. Proponents of this bill have been working for nearly one decade to pass a paint stewardship program. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law on May 9, with it going into effect July 28, 2019.

The legislation creates a collection program for the recycling or proper disposal of unwanted architectural paint in Washington state, similar to industry-operated paint stewardship programs in other states. Producers of interior and exterior house paint are required to participate in a stewardship program to fund and manage leftover paint. Implementation is required by May 30, 2019.

Several additional states continue to work on paint stewardship legislation, including Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Most proposed bills require program maintenance, proper disposal based on type of paint, and reporting on quantities. Any entity selling paint into that state is also required to participate.

Clean Earth has helped re-purpose or safely dispose of millions of pounds of leftover paint. The majority of paint collected is recycled or turned into energy — both of which dramatically reduce what would otherwise go to landfill.

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