Dear Eco-Monkey >> What’s up with the 75-cent “PaintCare” fee I pay when I buy a gallon of paint? I’m curious about what it’s used for — I understand it’s an environmental fee.

Thanks, Todd

Dear Todd >> I’d be happy to provide a fresh coat of awareness about what’s happening at the paint checkout!

That small fee we pay on paint in Colorado — $0.35 for a half-pint up to less than a gallon, $0.75 for a gallon, and $1.60 for up to 5 gallons — supports Colorado’s Paint Stewardship Program. This program was created under a 2014 state law to ensure leftover paint is safely and responsibly recycled or disposed of. It’s what’s known as a producer responsibility law, which requires manufacturers to take part in the full lifecycle of their products, including disposal.

Paint is tricky for local governments: it’s a common item being discarded and costly to manage, even though it’s easy to recycle. So, producer responsibility for paint makes a lot of sense.

Here’s how it works: The nonprofit PaintCare runs the program in Colorado. With 212 drop-off sites across the state, about 95% of Coloradans live within 15 miles of a site. For those without nearby access, Colorado and PaintCare organize yearly collection events.

Since the program began, an estimated 7.2 million gallons of paint have been collected — that’s a lot of paint recovered instead of trashed in a landfill or, worse, poured down drains or into waterways.

So, what happens to all that paint? Latex paint, which is about 88% of what’s collected, is typically turned into recycled-content paint. Oil-based paint, the remaining 12%, is usually processed for energy recovery.

Producer responsibility programs like this are key to building a Zero Waste future. They encourage companies to make products that are easier to reuse, recycle, or dispose of safely, and they shift the financial burden of end-of-life management off communities and local governments.

And the concept doesn’t stop at paint. In 2022, Colorado passed a producer responsibility law for packaging and printed paper. Starting in 2026, all Coloradans will have no-cost access to recycling, and companies will be incentivized to design more recyclable packaging.

Colorado is also considering a producer responsibility law for batteries, which would help recover valuable metals, safely handle hazardous chemicals, and reduce the risk of fires in waste and recycling facilities.

So, that 75 cents on paint? It’s an investment in a cleaner, healthier future.

Color me grateful for that!

— Eco-Monkey

Got Zero Waste questions? We have answers! Contact recycle@ecocycle.org or call Eco-Cycle at 303-444-6634.