Paint Recycling in Québec: The Financing System Paint Product Stewardship Initiative, Charlotte, NC September 2006 By Georges Portelance, Executive director A short definition of Éco-peinture: A non for profit organisation created to ensure responsible management of post-consumer or left over paint. Éco-peinture was created to implement or to financially contribute to the implementation of a recovery or a reclamation system for discarded paint and paint containers. To finance those activities, an eco-fee of 0.25$ per paint container is contributed to Éco-peinture. The 0.25$ pays for the containers, the transport and the recycling of the paint.

About the Paint Program: Regulation applies to Businesses that sell paint, Brand Owners or First Sellers The regulation applies to architectural paint sold in retail outlets Regulation gives those businesses the responsibility to recover (or see to the recovery) of unused paint and paint containers A business can be exempt from the regulations if they join an (approved) organisation whose function is to implement or contribute to the implementation of a recovery system. We are still dealing with issues, but in the mean time, we can show some results. The complete recycling of more than 85 % of the paint & containers collected A significant economic impact in a region But everything is not perfect. After 4 years of operation, here are some the areas where we would like to see some improvements (Next slide is Areas of improvement)

Éco-peinture’s Mission A non-profit Organisation, created by the Paint Industry in Québec… “to implement ..or to financially contribute to the implementation of a recovery and reclamation system, in accordance with conditions determined in an agreement" (with the government) The Regulation by the same token, gives the Brand owners the possibility to get together and transfer some of their responsibilities on an Organisation (Éco-peinture) that can take some of their responsibilities. (The producer responsibility is introduced with the Regulation and Éco-peinture’s mission)

How the Program Works 44 members, (manufacturers, or retailers) 60 million litres of paint sold (16 million gallons) Potential left-over paint: +/- 7% of sales Recovery Objectives set by Gov’t: 2005, 50% of left-over paint and cans 2008: 75% of left-over paints and cans Over 1 000 drop off points (Municipal & Retail) A Product List that is coordinated with programs in other Provinces 3 features in those main objectives of the Regulation: It transfer some responsibilities to the Brand Owners (we will look into this concept later) One objective is to Reduce the material to be eliminated mainly the Hazardous waste) Finally, Encourage the Recovery of the material Those 3 features makes the Québec Regulation somewhat different from other regulations.

The financing of the Program Program entirely funded by an “eco-fee” Members pay Éco-peinture a fee for each unit sold in the Province Members report and pay on a monthly basis Eco-fee is the same for any container size: 25 cents Eco-fee is an invisible part of the selling price (is not displayed as a separate item) Eco-fee has not been increased since the start of the Program (2001)

Thank you Georges Portelance eco-peinture@qc.aira.com 514-426-0880