Sustainable Saratoga’s first ever Paint Recycling event collects 60,000 pounds of paint
Saratoga Springs, NY—Sustainable Saratoga’s October 2nd event was the first in the area to collect paint to be recycled. Recyclers in over 600 cars dropped off over 60,000 pounds of paint.
Bill Boehmke, who helped organize the event, said, “Most municipalities and waste collection companies collect paint, but in the past that paint usually ended up in landfills. All of the paint we collected today will be recycled into new paint.”
It is often hard to predict what the turnout will be like for a brand new event, but the local response to this event was incredible. Sustainable Saratoga and its recycling partner, Greensheen, were astounded by not only the number of cars, but also the sheer amount of paint in each car. Both organizations came away from the day pleased with the result, and with a list of things to improve for next time.
The large amount of paint in many vehicles, and having to pick out the acceptable items from each car- or truckload while leaving the unacceptable items behind, contributed to the wait time for dropping off paint. The vast majority of recyclers were grateful for the opportunity and showed patience, good humor and tolerance for the long wait, and plans are already being made to correct that for the next time.
This groundbreaking event was made possible by New York State’s participation in a paint recycling paint stewardship program where paint manufacturers, recyclers, and retailers collaborate to recycle paint and keep it out of landfills. Read more about it here: https://www.paintcare.org/
About Sustainable Saratoga
Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life. Learn more at www.sustainablesaratoga.org.
