It’s more convenient than ever to recycle paint in Rhode Island. Since the start of the Rhode Island paint stewardship program in June 2014, PaintCare has set up 29 drop-off sites in Rhode Island where the public can take unwanted, leftover paint for recycling. Most of these sites are at paint retailers (paint and hardware stores) that have volunteered to take back paint, and they are available to any household and business in Rhode Island. These stores accept paint whenever they are open for business.
A few restrictions apply: there are limits on how much paint can be dropped off per visit. Also, note that certain businesses — those that produce more than 220 pounds (about 20-30 gallons) of hazardous waste per month — can only drop off latex paint (they may not drop off oil-based paint). PaintCare will also be working with the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to continue accepting paints, stains, and varnishes at their Saturday Eco-Depot events. Eco-Depot will continue to be for households only. When you decide it’s time to recycle your paint, please call your site ahead of time to confirm their hours and to make sure they have space to accept the amount of paint you would like to recycle.