Maryland is making it easier and more sustainable to recycle paint with a program funded by a small fee on some paint products.

Lawmakers in 2024 passed a bill requiring manufacturers to establish a paint recycling program — in part because many paints are classified by the Maryland Department of the Environment as household hazardous waste products.

The program, which launched Wednesday, adds a fee to the purchase of many new paint products in the state, but allows residents and business owners to drop off old paint for free recycling.

Residents and business owners can drop off paint at solid waste facilities and retail or material reuse stores, or request pickup for disposal, Jay Apperson, a spokesperson for MDE, said in an email.

PaintCare, a nonprofit that represents paint manufacturers, will run Maryland’s program, and MDE will oversee it. PaintCare officials suspect they’ll collect around 350,000 gallons of paint in Maryland this year. Maryland joins 11 other states and Washington, D.C., with PaintCare programs.

Jacob Saffert, the director of eastern states for PaintCare, said Maryland’s program will have over 100 drop-off sites for used paint. Marylanders can find them using the online site locator at paintcare.org or by calling PaintCare’s hotline at (855) PAINT09.

Not everyone in Maryland currently has easy year-round access to dispose of paint or other hazardous waste. Hazardous waste drop-off in Baltimore City runs from June-December on the first Friday and Saturday of the month — except for holidays. Howard County’s household hazardous waste drop-off runs every Saturday from April-November.

Both Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties host a select number of events throughout the year for people to dispose of household hazardous waste, while Montgomery and Baltimore counties permit disposal almost daily.

Here’s how the PaintCare program will work.

What will PaintCare sites accept? And what won’t they accept?

PaintCare sites will accept acrylic, alkyd, enamel, oil-based and water-based paint products. They must be in their original containers and still have the manufacturer’s label. Cans must also have a secure lid and not leak to be accepted at drop-off.

Participating sites will accept up to 5 gallons of paint per customer, though PaintCare officials note customers should call ahead to discuss bringing more. Those with 100 gallons or more can schedule free pickup.

What’s accepted:

• Deck coatings
• Floor paints
• Interior and exterior architectural paints
• Lacquers
• Metal coatings
• Primers
• Shellacs
• Sealers
• Stains
• Urethans
• Varnishes
• Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellants

What’s not accepted

• Aerosol coatings (spray paint)
• Arts and crafts paints
• Asphalt, tar and bitumen-based products
• Auto and marine paints
• Caulking compounds, epoxies, glues and adhesives
• Deck cleaners
• Industrial maintenance coatings
• Original equipment manufacturer paints and finishes
• Paint additives, colorants, tins and resins
• Roof patch and repair
• Traffic and road marking paints
• Wood preservatives

How much will it cost?

Businesses and residents won’t have to pay anything when recycling their used paint products. However, purchasing new paint products will cost more to fund the program.

The cost of paint in Maryland will increase based on the container size to fund the PaintCare program:

• $0.50 for anything larger than a half-pint, but smaller than a gallon
• $1.15 for 1-2 gallons
• $2.25 for 2-5 gallons