"San Mateo County Paints the Town!"

by Deborah Orrill, CalMAX Coordinator

In bygone days, "paint the town" had a meaning of its own; today the County of San Mateo gives a more contemporary to the phrase. With an ongoing collection program for household hazardous materials, the county leads in reuse with its latex paint collection and distribution program. The result is a new coat of paint for many schools and nonprofit organizations countywide.

In 1998, county residents took approximately 625,000 pounds of household hazardous waste (HHW) and products to permanent and temporary collection sites. Of the 625,000 pounds, approximately 53 percent (333,000 pounds) represented materials managed through the recycled latex paint program; 16 percent (about 95,000 pounds) was reused through the product redistribution program; 26 percent (162,500 pounds) went to fuel-blending operations; and 5 percent (31,250 pounds) was incinerated.

The latex paint collection and recycling program was initiated in 1989. Residents bring paint to nine county drop-off locations including four permanent and five temporary facilities. The county recycles the latex paint that is not reused, at a cost of $3.00 per gallon. The county and local school districts use much of the recycled paint, generally earth-tone colors, for exterior uses. Graffiti abatement programs and community shelters as well as churches, nonprofit organizations, and the general public use the remaining recycled paint.

To promote San Mateo County's reuse activities, Tanya Haeri-McCarroll, HHW Program Coordinator for the county, utilizes CalMAX to offer certain products to local entities. The CalMAX listing brought an increased number of visitors to the county's "reuse store" according to Tanya. In 1998, 1,492 people came to the reuse store. Other products available from the reuse store include varnishes, stains, pesticides, and automotive products, which are made available to nonprofit organizations, schools, and local businesses, to name a few.

In the first quarter of 1999, San Mateo County's reuse store distributed 24 tons of products countywide. The county returned approximately 85 percent (20.4 tons or 40,800 pounds) to residents, and made the remaining 15 percent (3.6 tons or 7,200 pounds) available to schools, nonprofit agencies, and small businesses.

Established in 1991, the reuse store is located in Redwood City and is staffed by county and volunteer staff. It is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.  To qualify as a "reused" material, the product must have a legible label and a cap or a lid that firmly seals the product, and the receptacle must contain at least half of the original product. Products in glass, decaying, or rusting containers are not accepted for reuse.

In addition to helping local organizations, San Mateo County has participated in international assistance and relief efforts through its latex paint program. At the initiative of Tongan residents (San Mateo County has one of the largest Tongan populations outside of Tonga), the county provided paint for island schools, hospitals, churches, and other institutions. It also donated 7,000 gallons of recycled latex paint to Honduras and Nicaragua last year to assist with the Hurricane Mitch relief effort.

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Last updated: August 01, 2008