News Release

HRM Calls for Paint Recovery Program

(Thursday, February 7/2002)-- Halifax Regional Municipality wants the Province to implement a Paint Stewardship Program, similar to those for recycling bottles and tires in Nova Scotia. The program would also create new jobs throughout the province.

Mayor Peter Kelly, on behalf of Halifax Regional Council, has written to Premier John Hamm urging his Cabinet to quickly approve the policy changes required to implement such a recovery program through the network of Enviro Depots located across HRM and throughout Nova Scotia.

Provincial figures show that approximately 4 million litres of residential paint is sold in Nova Scotia annually; of that amount, approximately 1.6 million litres is sold in the HRM. However, only about 60,000 litres are recovered each year at the HRM's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) depot at Bayers Park, and an additional 25,000 litres is recovered at other HHW depots located in other municipalities. A smaller amount is recovered by local Kent Building Supply Stores.

HRM staff says the typical householder uses most of the paint they purchase, leaving only about 15 per cent residue for disposal. Residential paint residue left for proper disposal each year in Nova Scotia is about 600,000 litres. This is significantly more than the 85,000 litres being captured through municipal HHW programs. At the present rate of capture each year, there is an additional 500,000 litres of residential paint which is either stored in basements, attics and garages; or illegally deposited in storm drains, culverts, and ditches, or disposed of in landfills.

Halifax Regional Council wants to see a safe, reliable and convenient solution available for residual paint, modeled on the deposit/refund beverage container program now administered by the Nova Scotia Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) and its Enviro Depots.

Mayor Kelly said a similar residential paint recovery program has been in operation in British Columbia for six years. The purchaser of residential paint in B.C. pays a small extra fee for safe disposal of the product The recovery rate of residential paint there is 15% of all residential paint sold in the province..

The Mayor said " HRM has been working through the Resource Recovery Fund Board, the Regional Chairs of Solid Waste Resources Group, and staff of provincial Department of Environment and Labour to encourage development of a comprehensive paint stewardship program. It would mean new opportunities for our residents to safely divert this material from our landfill and it may discourage illegal dumping."

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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010