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Committee advances paint stewardship bill to shift cost of paint disposal from counties to producers
Summary
A3383 would create a producer-funded paint stewardship program with small per-can fees to fund statewide collection and recycling; proponents say counties would save and access would expand, while members asked technical questions about fees and program mechanics.
The Assembly committee released A3383, a bill to establish a statewide paint stewardship program that would require paint producers to finance and administer paint-collection and recycling infrastructure.
Speakers for the program, including Alexis Bailey of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers and Ed Waters of the Chemistry Council, said similar stewardship programs operate in a dozen states and the District of Columbia and typically add a small per-can fee (approximately $0.30 to $1.99 depending on can size) to cover collection and recycling. They said counties that currently manage paint collection through household hazardous‑waste programs would be relieved of that recurring cost and could repurpose funds to other recycling priorities.
Waters described guardrails the DEP would apply to the stewardship organization — including plan review, audits and limits so the program collects only the funds needed to operate — and noted antitrust concerns are addressed through DEP oversight of producer coordination.
Committee members asked about fee-setting mechanics, how unusable (old, separated) paint is handled, potential collection sites (retailers as drop‑offs) and whether the per-can fee would match county‑level costs. Witnesses said the stewardship organization would sort usable from unusable paint; usable paint is redirected to reuse or industrial blending and unusable paint would be disposed of through existing hazardous‑waste processes.
The committee released the bill after discussion; members noted the potential county savings and the need for DEP oversight on program transparency and fee levels.
What’s next: A3383 was released from committee and will proceed toward additional floor consideration; the sponsor and stakeholders will continue coordination on program details and fee-setting mechanisms.
