Government scheme reduces paint going to landfill

A Government-accredited product stewardship scheme has diverted more than 230,000 litres of paint and 90,000kg of steel buckets from landfill in the last year, Environment Minister Amy Adams says.

Resene’s PaintWise recycling and education programme finds beneficial uses for waste products, including donating unused paint to community groups and recycling the steel paint buckets returned as part of the scheme.

“Many people are unsure of what to do with surplus paint and are worried about the effect it has on the environment,” Ms Adams says.

“People tend to buy more paint than they need for a project and the unused paint is often sent to landfill or, even worse, washed down our sewerage or stormwater systems where it can cause significant environmental harm.

“Resene is an excellent example of an organisation taking responsibility for waste in its industry by providing New Zealanders with an environmentally-responsible way of disposing of their unused paint.”

Staff at Resene’s stores also help customers better calculate the amount of paint needed for their project, and are told unused paint and steel buckets can be returned to the store to be reused and recycled.

The Government’s product stewardship schemes ensure all parties involved in the production and distribution of a product take responsibility for its impact on the environment at the end of its life.

Resene’s PaintWise scheme received government accreditation in August last year.

For more information about product stewardship accreditation go to:
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/sustainable-industry/initiatives/product-stewardship