Porter County residents have the opportunity to recycle their old latex paint and purchase usable recycled latex paint at the City of Hobart’s Department of Public Works, thanks to an intergovernmental agreement between the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County and the City of Hobart.
“Even though latex paint can be dried out and safely thrown in the trash, this is a great opportunity for our residents to recycle and reuse it, keeping latex paint out of landfills,” said Therese Davis, executive director of the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County.
Hobart has already begun accepting paint donations from Porter County residents at its Department of Public Works site, 340 S. Shelby St., Mondays through Fridays, between 7 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., and Saturdays, between 8 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Oil-based paint will not be accepted, neither will latex paint generated by businesses.
Latex paint will also be accepted at the remainder of the three Porter County household hazardous events this year: July 7 at Westchester Intermediate School in Chesterton; Aug. 11 at Portage High School; and Nov. 3 at the old/closed Pine Elementary School. Further information on these collection events is available on the district’s website, www.ItMeansTheWorld.org, or by calling 465-3694.
The agreement also permits residents and businesses from Porter County to purchase the recycled paint produced by the City of Hobart for $3 per gallon. Porter County not-for-profit organizations and government agencies can obtain the recycled product for free.
“The paint available for purchase is gray in color because it is a mixture of all the colors of paint that are recycled there,” said Davis. “It is great to use as primer or it can be tinted the color of your choice at your favorite paint store.”
The intergovernmental agreement between the district and the City will continue through the end of the year.
“At the end of the year, we will evaluate whether or not our residents find this program valuable,” Davis said. “If Porter County residents are purchasing and reusing as much as recycling, we know we have provided a great service.”