If you have old cans of paint stashed in your basement or garage that you don’t how to get rid of, there’s good news for you. Illinois residents can now recycle latex and oil-based architectural paint products at numerous retail hardware and paint stores, including in Springfield and surrounding communities. This is due to the Paint Stewardship Act, passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023. The program launched in Illinois on Dec. 1, 2025. There are currently 345 drop-off sites statewide, and this continues to grow.
The recycling program is operated by PaintCare, a nonprofit organization created by the American Coatings Association, which is a trade association of the paint manufacturing industry. Ace Hardware, RP Lumber and Sherwin-Williams stores, along with PPG Paint Store on South Sixth Street, are examples of area participating businesses. The retailers accept interior and exterior paints, primers, stains, sealers and varnishes from households and businesses. Products must be in original, non-leaking containers with the original manufacturer’s label visible. There is no cost to drop off paint. To find specific drop-off locations and hours of operation, go to paintcare.org.
Previously, the only option to appropriately dispose of oil-based paint was at special household hazardous waste collections, held periodically in communities and typically managed by government agencies. Latex paint is generally not hazardous and not accepted at these waste collection drives. The recommended solution is to dry out the paint using kitty litter or paint hardener and put cans in the trash. This new program provides a far better alternative.
The recycling program is funded through a small fee on the sale of new paint, which pays for paint collection, transportation, processing and public education. Fees vary by state. In Illinois, the fees on new paint are 45 cents for a half-pint up to a gallon, 95 cents for one to two gallons and $1.95 for two gallons up to five gallons.
A press conference was held at the Capitol on Feb. 24 to share initial results in Illinois. During the first two months, an estimated 60,000 gallons of leftover paint were collected. PaintCare estimates nearly 1 million gallons will be collected in the first year of operation.
“The success is the direct result of focused leadership and unprecedented collaboration across policy, environmental advocacy, retailers and local communities,” said Michael W. Johnson, president and CEO of the American Coatings Association.
The Illinois Paint Stewardship Act is modeled after similar legislation passed in other states. Illinois Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, was the lead sponsor. Holmes described the program as a “win-win for everyone” with no downside. Homeowners and businesses have a place to get rid of unwanted paint. Paint gets reused and recycled in a responsible manner. Businesses benefit by bringing people into retail stores where they are likely to make another purchase.
It took many years for the legislation to be enacted in Illinois but the bill eventually passed with no dissenting votes.
“Though there were numerous negotiations, ultimately the IEPA, solid waste agencies, environmental groups and the paint industry all came together in support of the legislation,” Mark Biel, CEO of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, told Illinois Times. Biel mentioned the Illinois Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Environmental Law & Policy Center and GBD International – the largest paint recycler in the U.S. with its largest facility in Nashville, Illinois – as working together on the details of the legislation.
“The key drivers of the legislation were Brad Babcook of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois and Kyle Rominger, chief of the Bureau of Land at the IEPA. Kyle navigated the IEPA’s challenges of setting up a PaintCare program while complying with the current state statutes and regulations,” Biel said.
PaintCare operates the paint recycling program in states that have enacted paint stewardship laws. The first program in the country was established in Oregon in 2010. Currently there are 11 states and the District of Columbia participating. To date, approximately 85 million gallons of paint, stain and varnish have been managed by PaintCare. Most of the drop-off sites are paint and hardware retail stores, but also include facilities owned by local units of government and nonprofit organizations.
PaintCare estimates 10% of the 800 million gallons of architectural paint sold annually in the U.S. goes unused. PaintCare manages the collected paint to make good quality material available for immediate use and only landfilling the small amount that can’t be reused or recycled. Most latex paint is sent to recycling processors and made into new paint, and most oil-based paint is used as fuel. PaintCare also provides information on how to paint smarter, by estimating how much paint to buy for a project and knowing how best to store and reuse paint and then recycle what’s left (Info at https://www.paintcare.org/paint-smarter/).
“The Paint Stewardship Act was negotiated over a number of years and we’re excited to see it working,” Jen Walling, CEO of the Illinois Environmental Council, told Illinois Times. “It’s a common-sense solution that keeps hazardous waste out of our landfills and waterways while making it easier for Illinois residents and businesses to responsibly recycle leftover paint. We’re proud of the work happening across the state including expanded collection sites, public education and partnership with local governments.”
Karen Ackerman Witter is a longtime recycler. As a policy adviser to Gov. Jim Thompson and director of the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, she was involved in passage and implementation of the state’s first comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act signed into law by Thompson in 1986.
This article appears in April 16-22, 2026.
