OTTAWA, Ontario - The Canadian paint and coatings industry now leads the world in post-consumer paint recycling with a waste diversion program in every province of Canada. Under Product Care, the paint and coatings industry has been delivering waste diversion programs since 1994, when the first one was established in British Columbia. The Product Care model has now been adopted in the United States.

Since the Ontario Municipal Household Hazardous Waste (MHSW) program was launched in 2008, the paint and coatings industry has met or exceeded program targets for waste diversion. "The paint and coatings industry has taken the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) seriously, and despite significant challenges with administration of the program in Ontario, the industry continues to exceed government-approved targets in the province," commented Gary LeRoux, President of the Canadian Paint and Coatings Association.

The Waste Diversion Act (WDA) encourages producers to take increased responsibility for their waste under a provision of the act called Industry Stewardship Plans (ISP). The industry has once again stepped up to the challenge for assuming greater responsibility and is now working with Waste Diversion Ontario on an ISP for responsible post-consumer paint recycling in Ontario. All paint and coatings members of CPCA have signed a letter of intent to move forward with a new program operator in Ontario. Once approved, the program will lead to better governance and improved transparency; it will also ensure best practices are followed in post-consumer waste diversion.