Plastic Free Queen Anne's County was pleased to support the Maryland paint stewardship law that officially launched on April 1, 2026. The new paint stewardship program, PaintCare, is a significant step forward in reducing waste and protecting our environment.

 

The paint stewardship legislation passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore in 2024. Maryland joins similar programs in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

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PaintCare aims to recover and recycle hundreds of thousands of gallons of leftover paint each year, promoting paint recycling and managing the post-consumer paint waste stream using environmentally sound practices.

 

PaintCare is a nonprofit organization created by paint companies through the American Coatings Association, managing a network of convenient paint drop-off locations, including paint and hardware retail stores and local government facilities.

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​​PaintCare sites accept interior and exterior paints, primers, stains, sealers and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off in its original container with its original manufacturer’s label. All sites accept products from any manufacturer. Most of the paint PaintCare receives is latex and remixed into recycled content paint by processors. The new Maryland PaintCare program is expected to collect approximately 350,000 gallons of paint in its first year.

 

There is no cost when dropping off leftover paint for recycling. The PaintCare fee is placed on the sale of new paint and funds all aspects of the program.

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​To find a local paint drop-off site in Maryland, visit paintcare.org/MD.