What PaintCare does

PaintCare Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created in 2009 by paint manufacturers through the American Coatings Association (ACA) to operate paint stewardship programs in U.S. states that have enacted paint stewardship legislation. As of April 2026 it runs 13 statewide programs plus the District of Columbia — Oregon (the original 2010 program), California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, New York (2022), Illinois (December 2025), and Maryland (April 2026) — with a 14th program in Maryland, having collectively managed more than 85 million gallons of leftover architectural paint. End users include households, painting contractors, property managers, businesses, schools, and government agencies, all of whom can drop off paint at no cost.

Core offerings combine physical infrastructure with a lightweight digital layer. The drop-off site network includes over 370 retail and government sites in New York (387 year-round sites, 95% of residents within 15 miles), with roughly 20% of paint retailers participating per state. Service extensions include a Large Volume Pickup (LVP) program (1,119 pickups in New York for 100+ gallon generators), the PaintShare™ reuse program returning good-condition paint to communities, an online drop-off site locator, a toll-free hotline (855-PAINT09), and a March 2025 AI-powered Product Recognition Tool that uses computer vision to identify accepted paint products from a photo. PaintCare's "highest, best use" hierarchy prioritizes reuse, then recycling (about 70% of collected paint, per IPRA), then beneficial uses such as concrete admixture or fuel blending.

The business model is a classic extended producer responsibility (EPR) mechanism: a per-container PaintCare fee added to new paint sales funds collection, transport, processing, public education, and administration, with fee schedules set per state (e.g., $1.15/gallon and $2.25/5-gallon in Maryland; tiered up to $1.95/5-gallon in New York). PaintCare is the designated Producer Responsibility Organization in each program state, with oversight from environmental agencies such as NY DEC and Maryland Department of the Environment. Operating with a lean headcount of 51-100 employees, the organization has received the 2025 Corporate Stewardship Excellence Award from the Product Stewardship Institute and has supported an adjacent UK PaintCare trial managed by the British Coatings Federation.

Name

PaintCare

Legal name

PaintCare Inc.

Website

https://paintcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PaintCare is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that operates paint stewardship programs across 12 U.S. states and Washington D.C., funding free leftover paint recycling, large volume pickup, and reuse services via fees on new paint sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. PaintCare Fee on New Paint Sales: A small fee is added to the purchase price of each container of new paint sold in states with paint stewardship laws. This fee funds all aspects of the paint stewardship program including paint collection, transportation, processing, public education, and administration. The fee is not a tax or deposit but an industry-funded mechanism for extended producer responsibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

PaintCare operates state-level paint stewardship and recycling programs in 12 U.S. states and Washington D.C. on behalf of paint manufacturers. It provides free drop-off sites at paint retailers and government facilities, a free Large Volume Pickup service for contractors with 100+ gallons, and a paint reuse program (PaintShare™). Programs are funded by a small per-container fee added to new paint sales in each participating state.

Product overview

PaintCare operates a nonprofit paint recycling program across 12 U.S. states and Washington D.C., offering multiple interconnected services: the core PaintCare Program provides drop-off site networks and collection infrastructure funded by paint sale fees; the Large Volume Pickup service offers free collection for contractors with 100+ gallons; PaintShare™ facilitates paint reuse at reduced or no cost; the AI-powered Product Recognition Tool helps consumers identify accepted products; and Paint Smarter® provides educational guidance through Buy Right, Store Right, and Use It Up principles. Additional offerings include youth outreach programs, educational poster series, and large volume pickup request forms. The company has also launched programs in Illinois (December 2025) and Maryland (April 2026), and is piloting a UK trial in the West Midlands region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PaintShare™: A paint reuse program that returns good quality, unused paint to the local community at low or no cost.
• Paint Smarter®

Products and services

• PaintCare State Paint Recycling Programs Nonprofit paint stewardship and recycling programs operated in 12 U.S. states and Washington D.C. (California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington). Provides free drop-off sites at paint retailers and government facilities, arranges transportation and processing of leftover architectural paint, and conducts public education. Funded by a per-container PaintCare fee on new paint sales.
• Large Volume Pickup (LVP) Free pickup service for painting contractors, property managers, schools, businesses, and other entities with 100+ gallons of leftover architectural paint. PaintCare arranges on-site collection directly from the generator's location. In New York, 1,119 LVP pickups were completed.
• PaintShare™ Reuse Program Registered-trademark reuse program that returns good quality, unused paint to the local community at low or no cost through designated PaintShare™ giveaway events and partner locations. Supports PaintCare's "Highest, Best Use" priority of reuse before recycling or disposal.
• Product Recognition Tool AI-powered tool that uses computer vision to help paint consumers quickly identify whether their paint products are accepted by PaintCare programs. Users take or upload photos of paint cans to determine eligibility for recycling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85 million gallons of paint managed since 2009 founding across 12 states and D.C.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• American Coatings Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaintCare was created by paint manufacturers through the American Coatings Association. ACA represents paint manufacturers and maintains a close relationship with PaintCare, including joint recognition awards. The two organizations have collaborated since PSI and ACA member companies initiated dialogues on paint stewardship.
• Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSI founder Scott Cassell played a key role in hosting dialogues between ACA member companies, local government officials, and stewardship advocates that led to PaintCare's first program in Oregon 16 years ago. PSI awarded PaintCare and ACA the Corporate Stewardship Excellence Award on PSI's 25th anniversary. PaintCare and ACA have maintained memberships with PSI, collaborated on research projects, and partnered on outreach.
• Maryland Department of the EnvironmentcoreOthersMaryland Department of the Environment provides oversight for the PaintCare paint stewardship program in Maryland, which launched April 1, 2026 under a bipartisan paint stewardship law signed by Governor Wes Moore in 2024.
• New York State Department of Environmental ConservationcoreOthersNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides oversight for the PaintCare paint stewardship program in New York, which launched May 2022 under a paint stewardship law passed in 2019.
• Albany Parking AuthorityflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPaintCare partnered with Albany Parking Authority to create a community mural on the Quackenbush Parking Garage using leftover recycled paint. The partnership raises awareness about paint recycling value while enhancing downtown Albany with public art.
• Quill HarrisonflagshipOthersLocal artist Quill Harrison (represented by Albany Center Gallery) was selected to create the Albany mural project. Over the past four years, Quill has created murals in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and Glens Falls, often drawing on themes of community and connection.
• Albany Center GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlbany Center Gallery represents artist Quill Harrison and facilitates community art partnerships. Executive Director Tony Iadicicco commented on the mural project as an example of what art can do for Albany.
• Paint Retailers (Home Depot, Lowe's, Hardware Stores)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPaint retailers voluntarily serve as drop-off sites for PaintCare programs. Over 370 hardware and paint retail stores partner with PaintCare in New York alone. Retailers provide space for collection containers at no cost to the program.
• Local Government FacilitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal government facilities partner with PaintCare to serve as drop-off sites for household paint recycling. These partnerships enable convenient access for residents across participating states.
• British Coatings FederationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaintCare (UK) is managed by the British Coatings Federation, which is piloting a paint take-back scheme in the West Midlands region with approximately £0.5 million in investment. The UK program aims to achieve 75% paint reuse and recycling by 2032.
• B&QflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorB&Q partnered with British Coatings Federation to participate in the UK PaintCare trial, allowing customers to recycle leftover paint and tins at selected stores. B&Q is a major UK home improvement retailer.
• BiffacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBiffa serves as the waste partner for the UK PaintCare pilot scheme, managing collection and processing of leftover paint in the West Midlands region.
• International Paint Recycling Association (IPRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPRA represents recycled paint manufacturers who process collected paint. According to IPRA President Josh Wiwcharyk, about 70% of collected paint is recycled into high-quality recycled paint, and recycled paint manufacturers saved energy, water, and raw materials.
• Nonprofit OrganizationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit organizations partner with PaintCare as drop-off site locations, accepting leftover paint for recycling at their facilities.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ReColour: Danish producer responsibility program for leftover paint, founded and operated under EPR regulation. Closest EU peer with paint-specific reuse and recycling mandate, comparable scale and consumer-facing drop-off model.
• Paintback: Australia's industry-funded paint stewardship program, operating under a similar EPR model funded by a levy on architectural paint sales. Closest international analog to PaintCare's producer-funded, drop-off-network approach.
• Product Care Association of Canada: Canadian not-for-profit producer responsibility organization managing paint (and other products) stewardship programs across multiple provinces. Operates a directly comparable model — industry-funded, retailer drop-off sites, government oversight.

Broad incumbents

• Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE): U.S. carpet industry stewardship organization funded by a fee on carpet sales, with a similar producer-funded, drop-off-network model. Comparable governance structure (industry-created nonprofit) and state-by-state program rollout.
• Call2Recycle: North America's largest consumer battery stewardship program — a more mature, multi-product EPR organization operating across all U.S. states and Canada. Useful comparator for the operational scale and regulatory footprint PaintCare could target at maturity.

Regional players

• British Coatings Federation: UK trade association currently piloting the PaintCare-style take-back scheme in the West Midlands with Biffa as waste partner. Functions as PaintCare's UK counterpart and is the operating body for the UK PaintCare pilot.
• Éco-Peintures: Québec-based non-profit paint stewardship organization operating under provincial EPR regulation. Directly comparable mission and fee-funded model, but operates only in Québec rather than multi-state/multi-province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paintcareorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeRecyclePaint
• Instagraminstagram.com/werecyclepaint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paintcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PaintCare