Paint Recycling in New Hampshire

Each year, NRRA tracks bills regarding solid waste and recycling throughout the legislative session on our Policy & Legislation page. As a matter of policy, NRRA does not take a position on any proposed legislation. However, we do occasionally provide testimony reflecting NRRA’s experience supporting municipalities with their recycling and waste reduction efforts in NH as it relates to a bill. 

Recently, NRRA's executive director, Reagan Bissonnette, joined Representative Karen Ebel, in providing context for HB 451, which would establish a paint recycling program. HB 451 is supported by the NH Solid Waste Working Group (SWWG). The SWWG was formed to advise the NH Department of Environmental Services on planning for NH’s solid waste future; Reagan serves on the SWWG as NRRA’s representative.  

NRRA offers many cooperative recycling programs for its municipal members, including household hazardous waste collection days. NRRA works with a vetted vendor that is licensed to responsibly and safely collect and manage household hazardous waste. Many communities in NH offer a household hazardous waste collection day annually that includes accepting paint from residents.  

NRRA looked at data from recent years for over a dozen communities that held household hazardous waste collection days through NRRA’s cooperative program. These communities had an average population of 9,631. The average cost for these communities to hold a collection event was $13,091.

NRRA found that on average, 53% of the material collected (by weight) at those collection events was paint.

This means that on average, these communities spent $7,126 for paint collection and recycling alone at collection events. Therefore, a paint stewardship program that covers the costs for a municipality to transport and recycle paint has the potential to help municipalities reduce their costs for paint recycling.  

In addition, many municipalities do not accept latex paint for recycling at household hazardous waste collection events, as it can be dried and safely disposed of with household trash. A paint stewardship program would provide residents with more access to paint recycling locations throughout the year, which could increase the overall amount of paint being reused and recycled rather than disposed of in NH’s landfills.   

Learn more about this and other bills related to solid waste and recycling.