FRANKLIN COUNTY, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Six towns in Franklin County have signed letters supporting the paint recycling bill that aims to lower disposal costs for taxpayers and reduce environmental impacts by keeping paint out of the waterways and reducing the waste going to landfills and incinerators.
Montague, Deerfield, Sunderland, Bernardston, Hawley, and Northfield were all mentioned in the bill’s fact sheet from Senator Jo Comerford’s office.
The paint recycling bill would implement the PaintCare program a national nonprofit organization who manage the program where paint retailer would collect $1.25 per gallon of paint to recycle it. If the bill passes, paint collection would happen year-round instead of at designated times in the year, organized with taxpayer funds.
Similar paint stewardship programs have been established in New York, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont, saving governments and taxpayers nearly $300 million.