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Green Painter's Guide

Use Super-Compliant paints whenever possible.

If you can’t use Super-Compliant paint, avoid painting during peak smog season: July, August, and September.

If you can’t find Super-Compliant paint, use any of the readily available Low-VOC paints designed to do the job.

Buy only the paint you need. Try this Paint Calculator from PaintCare, Inc. PaintCare is a non-profit organization established by the American Coatings Association to implement California’s Paint Stewardship Law. PaintCare has established hundreds of drop-off sites for leftover paint at retailers and other sites throughout California. For further information, you can email CalRecycle.

Recycle leftover paint. Take any left over paint to one of the many drop-off sites run by PaintCare, Inc.

Keep lids closed on all paint containers when not in use to prevent VOC emissions and excessive odors.

For water-based paints, clean up with water only, but whenever possible, do not rinse the clean-up water down the drain or pour it directly into the ground or the storm drain.

Recycle the empty paint can.

Look for non-solvent containing stripping products.

Use compliant low-VOC cleaning solvents to clean paint application equipment. Click on the following hyperlink for a list of: Clean Air Solvents.

Keep all paint and solvent laden rags in sealed containers to prevent VOC emissions.

Use according to manufacturer's directions

Make sure you provide plenty of ventilation when using paint or solvent products.

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