Paint Recycling


Recycling Locations | Recycling Process | Where to Buy Recycled Paint

Table of Contents

Mail-in Paint Recycling

The Up® Box is a convenient mail-in paint recycling option for latex or acrylic paint. All paint rescued by Up is "upcycled" and reborn as beautiful and earth-kind products. Plus, each Up® Box purchase provides you with a discount on new Up® Paint products!

The Up® Box comes as a “kit,” complete with lid securing clips, packing tape, and a prepaid shipping label for easy return of post-consumer paint. Each Up® Box comes in a variety of sizes, including 1 gallon, 2 gallons, 4 gallons, 5 gallons, or 4 quarts, and is specifically designed to fit each type of paint container.

Once the kit is received, every component from the lid securing clips to the box itself is recycled. In addition to its environmentally friendly design, Up® Box also participates in a zero-carbon offset program!

Paint Recycling / Disposal Locations

PaintCare, a nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint in states that pass paint stewardship laws. This map displays sites set up by PaintCare as well as other sites that accept paint for disposal in states where PaintCare does not operate. If you aren’t finding a convenient location to drop-off your paint - try our convenient mail-in recycling with the Up® Box

Paint Recycling and Disposal Locations

Evergood Paint Recycling Process


How it Works

Consumers drop off used paint at a drop-off site

→

Paint is delivered to a paint rescue location

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Paint is processed

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Refined paint is reborn
as Up® Paint

Up Paint’s proprietary Evergood™ Paint Recycling Process is the magic methodology that brings otherwise obsolete paint back to life in four simple and sustainable steps. We’ll keep your old unused paint out of the garage (not to mention oceans and waterways!), and get it where it belongs, bringing color and brightness to the walls of homes and businesses around the country. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Drop off your unused paint at a paint recycling drop-off center near you.

Step 2: Your paint is transported to a paint rescue location.

Step 3: This is where magic happens - so no peeking! Our state-of-the-art technology will sort, process, and recondition your excess paint.

Step 4: Your paint is officially upcycled into Up Paint. Welcome to the circular paint economy!

The Circular Paint Economy

By recycling your paint for resale with Up Paint, you’re participating in a new, sustainable system designed to tackle global challenges such as pollution, climate change, and loss of biodiversity: a circular economy. A circular paint economy prioritizes the reuse (rather than disposal) of paint products in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

In contrast, the current linear paint economy in which raw materials are refined, used, and discarded creates excessive waste and damaging pollution. For example, 2 million tons of paint waste end up in oceans and waterways every year as a result of paint disposal. (In fact, paint particles make up over 50% of all microplastics in the water.)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What type of paint can be recycled?

There are many different methods available for recycling paint, depending on the paint type. Most paint recycling or upcycling programs will accept latex paint, which they filter and process so the paint can be reused. This recycled paint maintains comparable quality to new paint.

Luckily, more and more paint recycling and upcycling centers are providing alternatives to traditional paint disposal by accommodating different paint types. For example, many PaintCare locations accept a much broader range of paint types for recycling. These include:

  • Interior and exterior architectural paints: latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coatings)
  • Deck coatings, floor paints (including elastomeric)
  • Primers, sealers, undercoaters
  • Stains
  • Shellacs, lacquers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
  • Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellents (not tar or bitumen-based)
  • Metal coatings, rust preventatives
  • Field and lawn paints

PaintCare locations are typically unable to recycle the following products:

  • Paint thinners, mineral spirits, solvents
  • Aerosol paints (spray cans)
  • Auto and marine paints
  • Art and craft paints
  • Caulking compounds, epoxies, glues, adhesives
  • Paint additives, colorants, tints, resins
  • Wood preservatives (containing pesticides)
  • Roof patch and repair
  • Asphalt, tar and bitumen-based products
  • 2-component coatings
  • Deck cleaners
  • Traffic and road marking paints
  • Industrial Maintenance (IM) coatings
  • Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) (shop application) paints and finishes
  • Containers that are leaking or empty, and containers without the original printed manufacturer’s label are not accepted at retail drop-off sites

Why does paint need to be recycled?

Did you know that improper paint disposal contributes to a variety of pollution-related environmental problems, including smog? When some types of latex and oil-based dry up in a landfill, for example, they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These harmful vapors contribute to the creation of smog.

Smog is just one of the negative effects of throwing away vs recycling paint.

When you recycle your paint, you prevent toxins like VOCs and other flammable substances from polluting our soil, groundwater, and air. Recycled paint safely filters and repurposes environmentally harmful compounds, keeping them out of local ecosystems.

Recycling paint is easier than you think! We recommend finding a paint recycling location near you.

What is recycled paint used for?

Recycled or upcycled paint can be used for interior / exterior spaces, furniture, and virtually any surface where you’d use traditional paint. Recycled paint (or upcycled paint like Up Paint) maintains an incredibly high quality, which is shocking to some of our first-time customers.

Recycled latex (water-based) paint:

Recycled latex paints are one of the most commonly used upcycled paints in households. They provide a convenient and environmentally responsible way to update the look of any room in your home, from the bedroom to the kitchen. Upcycled latex paints are also highly durable and can be used on a variety of surfaces, including walls, ceilings, furniture, and even cabinets. With so many colors and finishes available, there's sure to be a recycled latex paint that will fit your needs perfectly!

Recycled oil-based paint:

Upcycled or recycled oil-based paints are a great choice for most indoor and outdoor home improvement projects. These paints offer superior coverage and durability compared to other types of paints, making them a popular choice for interior walls, trim, and furniture. Oil-based paints that have been recycled also provide a smoother finish than water-based recycled paints, so you'll have a professional-looking result every time. You can even use upcycled oil-based paint in high-moisture areas like kitchens or bathrooms since it's more resistant to moisture and humidity than other types of paint.

How good is recycled paint?

A common misconception about recycled or upcycled paint is that it’s lower quality than new paint. In reality, recycled paint is an excellent choice for those looking for quality and affordability. Recycled paint is tested extensively and refined to meet (or surpass) industry standards so consumers like you can rest assured that your paint will be long lasting and of the highest quality - and a great way to reduce waste. With its beautiful finish and eco-friendly production process, recycled paint is the perfect choice for any painting project!

What is PaintCare?

PaintCare is a non-profit organization that operates paint recycling programs on behalf of manufacturers in states that pass paint stewardship laws. PaintCare provides drop-off sites where households and businesses can recycle paint for free. The program is funded by a small fee on the sale of new paint in those states. PaintCare was created by the American Coatings Association (ACA), the trade association of the paint manufacturing industry. Learn more about PaintCare and check paint drop-off availability in your area at paintcare.org.

For your next painting project, feel good about saving the environment using upcycled Up Paint!
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