GFL’s recycled paint program spreads beauty

GFL’s Hamilton-Lottridge Street, Ontario, facility collects municipal hazardous or special waste such as chemicals and paint but they go one step further: they recycle latex paint.

“If latex paint wasn’t recycled it would most likely be solidified and sent for landfill,” said Branch
Manager Jennifer Bevens-Hind.

Bevens-Hind has worked at the facility for 24 years and is proud of GFL’s paint recycling program which
has operated at this location for more than 30 years, diverting paint from the landfill and helping to
freshen up and beautify rooms around the world.

“Right now our primary international customer is in Africa and we’re working with a new customer in
Cuba,” Bevens-Hind said. “In Cuba, our paint has been used in schools for children, community centers
and homes for the elderly, and it’s helped to brighten up so many places.”

GFL sells paint to these customers in bulk in 1,000 liter totes.

Back in Ontario, the provincial government’s Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation came into
effect in September 2021, which made producers accountable for their products and packaging after
consumers are finished with them.

Consumers can drop off unused paint at designated retail locations such as RONA, Home Hardware and
paint stores. GFL then collects paint from these locations.

“Under the HSP program we mostly collect paints that come from municipal households as well as
commercial paints and coating materials,” Bevens-Hind said. “We ensure that materials are being
recycled or handled in an environmentally conscious manner.”

At GFL, machines pop a hole in the lid of each can and employees do a quality control check to make
sure the paint is in good enough condition to be recycled and assess its color.

Neutral colors are popular for painting so GFL collects a lot of white, beige and gray tones which are
mixed and blended together. Altogether they make seven colors of latex paint: off-white, beige, gray,
brown, blue, green and rose. The recycled paint does not contain dyes or additives and can be used for
interior and exterior painting projects.

Due to a surplus of paint, it’s presently available to GFL facilities and employees in Ontario and can be
delivered by GFL trucks to facilities during regular trips, which saves fuel and reduces emissions.

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