Paint Products Stewardship Initiative
In the United States each year, an estimated 10 percent of sold architectural paint (more than 750 million gallons) is left unused. Local household hazardous waste collection programs collect more paint than any other hazardous waste. Oregon has become the first state in the nation to enact a law requiring paint manufacturers to safely manage leftover latex and oil-based paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs. To ensure that paint is disposed of properly, this issue requires public awareness and a convenient and effective system for collecting paint. To support this legislation, a national partnership—the Paint Project Stewardship Initiative—was developed, and EPA's Office of Policy participates in this effort. Under the new law, the paint industry will set up a program to reduce paint waste, increase reuse and recycling, and safely dispose of remaining unusable paint.
A participatory evaluation has been a goal of the partnership since its inception. By building measurement and evaluation into the design of the pilot program, the Paint Project Stewardship Initiative has positioned itself to answer key evaluation questions important to all its stakeholders.