Canadians, now and again, have some good ideas. They came up with things like zippers, basketball and poutine, for example. They also have universal health care and tend not to get involved in certain unnecessary wars … ah, how nice.
Here’s an idea from the Great White North that ought to grow – affordable recycled paints and paint depots that are supported by both corporate and greenward thinking municipalities.
We first learned about these programs from EcoPaint.ca – a Canadian company and website that sells affordable low-VOC (volatile organic compounds … it’s something else we’re now supposed to care about, I suppose) recycled paint, stains and paint remover. Seems up north more and more municipalities are upping the oomph of their waste disposal depots by expanding them and partnering with companies who can make wonders out of paint scraps.
One of the main companies involved in recycled paints, Boomerang Paint, has been at it for 15 years. Along with their own mini depots, Boomerang Paint works with municipal waste disposals and large consumer shops like Home Depot to collect old, unwanted and mostly used paint from the everyday consumer and contractor. Boomerang then takes the paint, separates it by type, then by color and produces a set collection of latex, alkyd and strains (the color selection is admittedly a bit limited – but some great basics are there – something that appeals to many a property manager). The process of how Boomerang Paint are made is shown here in this video by EcoPaints – it’s actually pretty neat!
Along with typical retailers, many of the paints are sold directly in thrift stores (you know how a new coat of paint can lift a home or room and give you a sense of pride? Same goes for the homes of families with low incomes). Talk about a system that pays it forward! Let’s hope more cities in Canada and the US get on board with a similar program.
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