Paint Product Stewardship Initiative

1

Paint Product Stewardship Initiative

Issue Discussion

2Greiner Environmental, Inc.

PSI Issue Survey

IssueOverall Rank

GovernmentManufacturers & Associations

Retailers

1 1. Leftover Paint 1 1 1 12 2. Improper Disposal 3 6 2 23 3. Collection 2 3 4 44 4. Sorting 7 7 6 65 5. Managing Containers 9 9 8 36 6. Transportation 10 8 9 87 7. Non-Paint Uses 7 10 3 98 8. Paint Manufacturing 6 4 7 69 9. Sale of Paint with Recycled Content 5 5 4 410 10. Sustainable Financing 4 2 10 10


Issue: Sorting


Sorting Issues

• Proper paint sorting is key to quality and value of leftover paint for reuse and recycling.

• When managed as a resource rather than a waste, leftover paint retains more value as a raw material.

• Key is good sorting protocol


Sorting Issues

• Who Sorts: Collection Site, Hauler, Recycler • What are the sorting issues?

– Latex and Oil– Products For Swap, Collection site bulking,

Recycling into Paint, Recycling into Non-paint Uses, Disposal

– Visually Examining For Foreign Substances– Water, solvents, oil, other…

– Chemical testing (rare)


Sorting & Bulking

• Bulking Procedures: Collection Site vs. by Recycler/Handler– Collection Site

– Bulk for transport– Bulk for packaging & resale/donation

– Recycler/Handler– Sorting for paint recycling (specialized

procedures)– Sorting for non-paint recycling


Sorting Issues

• On average, containers 1/3 full.• Nearly full new containers have greatest “resource

value” and lowest handling cost– Swaps– Recycling value

• Old & nearly empty containers have less resource value and highest handling cost– Consolidation difficult– High labor costs


Sorting: The Ideal World

• Paint is sorted by communities and processors according to its highest economic value and highest environmental value


Sorting: Real World

• Communities all using their own sorting protocols• Little use of technology to determine age of paint• Recyclers do their own sorting according to their

own protocols.


Sorting Strategy (From Action Plan)

1. Establish sorting and bulking BMPs– To create the greatest value for the collected material.

– Paint Recycling

– Non paint recycle

– Disposal

– To sort out contamination



– Higher Value To Recycle Into Paint White or off-white paint ½ full or more Free of bacteria growth & other contaminants

– Lower Value To Recycle into Other Products Colored paint Less than ½ full Bacteria contamination



– Use bar codes to sort out very old paint (e.e., paint manufactured prior to mercury and lead bans)


Issue: Managing Containers


Container Issue

• Construction– Steel ~90%; Plastic ~10% of the market

– Steel ~ 25-35% recycled steel; PP 80-100% recycled content

• Trends Plastic growing

• Plastic-metal hybrid cans : PP (gallon)– injection molded opaque, all-PP (KW Plastics)

– KW using 100% recycled PP; plans to set up a collection system for the all-PP cans.

• Clear PET – one piece with PET lid & metal rim

– drop into the existing paint-industry infrastructure…


Container Issue

• All plastic: HDPE (gallon & quart) w/ PP top– square-bodied, rounded-lid, twist-top, spout,

handle– multi-part containers ~ 3x cost of three times

50¢ to 60¢ steel gallon can. – also awkward fit into current handling, filling,

and tinting infrastructure


Container Issue

• Performance & Cost will drive adoption of Plastics– Fit in existing infrastructure– Stackability, corrosion, closure, consumer

preference, impact resistance, etc.– E.g. KW claims drop-in steel replacement, lid more

airtight, leak-proof, and emission-resistant, better stacking.


Container Issue

• Steel: While 98% of municipal recycling programs accept steel cans, ~ 50% officially accept cans; SRI encourages recycling

• Plastic: Little infrastructure in place to recycle cans.


Containers: The Ideal World

• Designed to reduce spills• Designed to minimize emissions and seal well• Designed to prevent shrinkage (denting, rust, etc.)• Label to facilitate proper storage and recycling• Minimize life cycle environmental impacts. • 100% recycled at end of life• 100% recycled content


Containers: Real World

• Container material and designs vary• Existing container system leads to “spoiling” of

paint is lid not properly sealed• Recycling of steel only @ 50%• Recycling of plastic containers non existent• Recycle content varies


Container Strategy (From Action Plan)

1. Investigate life cycle impacts of container materials

· Life cycle impacts of steel versus plastic and hybrid containers (e.g., energy consumption, and air, water and land pollution).

· In-store shrinkage due to denting and rust of steel versus plastic or hybrid containers.

· Current and future anticipated recycling rates of different container types.

· Life cycle costs of steel containers versus plastic and hybrid containers


Container Strategy (From Action Plan)

2. Explore design standards for paint containers

– Emphasize need for sealing and pouring features

– Redesigns containers to reduce denting and rusting.

3. Increase container recycled content and containers recycling.

– To increase their recyclability, some degree of an "industry standard" might be needed.

– Label containers with information on recycling and paint storage For cleanup:

To recycle or properly dispose of paint in your community call 1-800-CLEANUP or visit www.EARTH911.org.



3. Increase container recycling (continued)– Consumer container return centers

– Picking up containers on company backhauls from municipal collection centers.

– Steel: work w/ SRI, scrap recyclers, can crusher manfs and others to increase steel container recycling

– Plastic: Coordinate collection of empty used plastic paint containers with collection/shipment of used auto battery casings


Issue: Transportation


Transportation Issue

• Transportation costs average roughly $0.42 to $0.59 per gallon or roughly 5% to 8% of leftover paint management costs.

• Per container transportation costs can increase for smaller quantities because some contracts stipulate minimum fees or volumes for pickup.

• Transportation costs affected by the type of hauler used (e.g. HW licensed)


Transportation: The Ideal World

• Leftover paint and containers transported at lowest possible cost

• Regulatory barriers to transportation (to the extent they exist) are minimized

or• No leftover paint so none to transport!


Transportation: Real World

• Transportation of leftover paint and containers varies from community to community, state to state– Little is written about the extent to which

transportation could be improved or costs could be lowered.


Transportation Strategy (From Action Plan)

1. Use backhaul opportunities – reverse distribution take back of paint and containers

– More cost effective if manufacturer/retailer uses own fleet rather than common carrier

2. Establish leftover paint accumulation points– More cost effective for recycler or disposal firm to

transport full loads as opposed to partial loads.

– Issue more pronounced for small communities since less volume is generated

Paint Product Stewardship Initiative

Documents

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