PaintCare Inc. (Washington, D.C., USA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created by the American Coatings Association, has launched the PaintCare Innovative Recycling Grant Competition. The goal of this competition is to identify and help develop the best recycling options for latex paint, with the winner earning a grant of up to $100,000.
PaintCare will conduct three separate competitions open to applicants from all 50 states. A panel of judges in each competition will evaluate each applicant on the basis of a questionnaire that specifies the applicant’s background and expertise, the value of the product or service being offered, and other relevant criteria. In addition, the applicant must also state how his or her proposal will return benefits to the state that contributed the funding.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as much as 10% of the architectural paint purchased annually in the U.S. goes unused. This is where PaintCare comes in: in 2017 alone, the organization estimates that it has processed an approximate collective total of 5.3 million gallons of latex paint. Currently, PaintCare operates paint stewardship programs in the following states with paint steward legislation: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. Three of these states—California, Colorado, and Connecticut—will contribute funding to the competition.
The competition period for the Innovative Recycling Grant Competition began on December 17, 2018 and will close on March 22, 2019. Grantees will be notified by or around April 30, 2019. According to Fred Gabriel, PaintCare’s director of operations and the staff person coordinating the Innovative Recycling Grant Competition, winners will be officially notified by email, followed by a personal phone call.
For more information on the Innovative Recycling Grant Competition, visit: www.paintcare.org/innovation-grant/
Source: PaintCare, www.paintcare.org