Photo by Denis Duquette

A visit to the Laurentide paint recycling plant in Richibucto

As many of you are aware, paint is a designated material in New Brunswick under the Clean Environment Act. You may also be aware that the paint recycling program is Extended Producer Responsibility, which means anyone who manufacturers or sells paint brands in New Brunswick is obligated to fund the collection and recycling of the product once it has been purchased and used by consumers. This includes interior and exterior water- and oil-based paints, as well as aerosol paints and paint cans.

Were you also aware, however, that paint from all over Atlantic Canada is recycled right here in New Brunswick? It is processed by Société Laurentide at their plant in Richibucto. Société Laurentide is a Quebec-based company that produces the well-known Laurentide paint brands. It also operates Laurentide Re/sources, which oversees the proper handling of post-consumer paints in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

Last fall, we had a chance to visit the Laurentide paint recycling facility in Richibucto. Located in the heart of the picturesque town, the building overlooks the beautiful Richibucto River. Inside the recycling facility, it was bustling with activity. And everywhere you looked, there was colour.

Once the paint arrives at the recycling facility, the cans are opened and checked before being loaded onto a conveyor belt. They are then sorted into different colours before a state-of-the-art machine dumps the contents into large containers. The cans are crushed and baled and then shipped elsewhere to be recycled. As for the paint, it is remixed with some new materials to ensure quality before being re-packaged and sold as Boomerang paint.

There are currently 64 paint recycling depots around the province. The agent who represents the brand owners, Product Care Canada, also operates a Paint Share program. Essentially, as long as the colour doesn’t matter to you, there is free paint up for grabs! To find your closest Paint Share depot, visit https://www.productcare.org/recycling-locator/?product=paintshare.

For a full list of recyclable paint and paint products, as well as recycling depots around the province, please visit our website at www.recyclenb.com. Happy Recycling everyone!