HB 1652 concerning paint stewardship, introduced Jan. 25, 2019, would create a paint recycling program for Washington's residents and businesses. A public hearing is scheduled for February 5 at 3:30pm in the House Environment & Energy committee. The legislature's website now allows online comments on bills.

The legislature has considered but not passed similar legislation since 2012. Similar industry-funded and run paint stewardship programs exist in eight states and the District of Columbia, while British Columbia's program began in 1994.

Tools for Local Government in Washington

• Comparing Paint Management in Washington and Oregon (PDF)
• Summary of Paint Hazards (PDF)
• How Does the Paint Assessment Work? (PDF)
• Management of Unwanted Architectural Paint in Washington (PDF) January 2013 report describing Washington's current paint collection and recycling programs and projecting what a product stewardship system would look like if implemented

Paint stewardship in the news

• PaintCare recycles more than 2 million gallons of paint from Maine, VT, CT, and RI, NERC, Oct. 30, 2018
• Paint stewardship saves local government millions of dollars a year, Waste 360, July 5, 2018
• PaintCare California recycles 12 million gallons, Santa Clarita Gazette, Nov. 17, 2017
• Paint recycling program teaches skills, offers second chances, Oregon Metro, Nov. 7, 2017
• Paint Recycling: More Fun Than Watching It Dry, Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) event in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR, Dec. 1, 2016
• Paint recycling bill can reduce waste, create jobs, The Olympian, Feb. 3, 2016
• Paint stewardship saved local governments more than $200,000, Marin County (CA) news release, Jan. 25, 2016
• Washington delegation tours MetroPaint to see recycling in action, Oregon Metro (article and video), November 2015
• Portland Radio Project's Nov. 9, 2015 interview with PaintCare and MetroPaint representatives
• Building suppliers paint a prettier picture for materials recycler, Portland Business Journal, April 16, 2015