One million cans and counting
Paint recycling is New Zealand is due to hit a significant milestone in 2011, with the Resene PaintWise paint and paint
packaging recovery programme expecting to get back its one millionth pack this year. Already over 100,000 litres of
paint has been donated and over 100,000 kilograms of steel packaging has been recycled.
Following nearly five years of development, Resene PaintWise was launched in 2004 by Resene to encourage paint users to
minimise the effects of their decorating on the environment. The service with assistance from 3R Group then rolled out
to the rest of New Zealand to become nationwide in mid 2007.
Residents can bring in unwanted paint and paint packaging, any brand, to one of the Resene ColorShops designated
PaintWise Collection centres. Returns are monitored by store staff before being put into the PaintWise collection bins.
This prevents abuse of the system, and avoids any nasty surprises when the bin is collected for processing.
Good quality Resene paint is provided free to community groups, waterborne paint is used for other applications such as
covering graffiti, solventborne paint goes through a solvent recovery program and packaging is recycled.
Resene’s managing director, Nick Nightingale, says the PaintWise idea was conceived in 1999 and is an extension of the
company’s commitment to the development of environmentally friendlier products and practices.
“Over fifty years ago, Resene turned the paint industry on its head with the development of New Zealand’s first
waterborne paint. Since then we’ve achieved a milestone of 15 years of Environmental Choice certification and developed
a highly successful environmental choice product range, but we never intended to stop there and Resene PaintWise is
testament to that,” he says.
“In New Zealand it’s estimated that just over six litres of paint per person is sold every year. That’s great for the
industry, but the disposal of old paint and paint containers is largely uncontrolled and the potential impact it could
have on the environment is alarming.”
“A large percentage of our research and development budget is spent on developing waterborne products to replace
solventborne ones, and the waterborne enamels that we pioneered in 1996 now easily outsell traditional enamels,” says
Nick Nightingale.
“While waterborne products are considerably more expensive to produce than the solventborne ones, they’re offered to our
customers at the same price to encourage them to purchase products that have less environmental impact.”
“Results show that demand continues to support Resene’s philosophy of providing products and services that combine
environmental benefits with ease of use and performance,” he says.
Community groups can apply for donations of paint from the Resene PaintWise program online at
www.resene.co.nz/paintwise.htm or complete and return the Community Paint Registration Form available from Resene
ColorShops.
Anyone keen to clean out cluttered garages and sheds can take unwanted paint and paint packaging to the following Resene
ColorShops during normal opening hours. A small charge applies to non Resene and trade returns:
Resene PaintWise Collection Centres (North Island):
Albany, Cnr Tawa Drive and Rosedale Road, Ph: (09) 414 6500
Basin Reserve (Wellington), 74 Cambridge Terrace. Ph: (04) 801 6219
Botany Downs, Unit 5, The Hub, 451 Ti Rakau Drive, Ph: (09) 272 5100.
Cambridge, 32 Lake Street, Ph: (07) 823 0170
Feilding, 109 Kimbolton Road, Ph: (06) 323 8450
Gisborne, 386 Gladstone Road, Ph: (06) 868 4656
Hamilton, Cnr Anglesea, Hood and Knox Streets, Ph: 839-9975
Hastings, Cnr Southland Road and Eastbourne Street, Ph: (06) 878 4070
Henderson, 30 Paramount Drive, Ph: 836 2366
Kapiti, 112 Kapiti Road, Ph: (04) 296 1060
Kilbirnie, Cnr Tacy & Kemp Streets, Ph: (04) 387 2916
Levin, 94 Cambridge Street, Ph: (06) 368 4484
Lower Hutt, 465 High Street, Ph: (04) 570 0683
Manukau, Sharkey Street, Ph: 262 1705
Masterton, Cnr Queen and Renall Streets, Ph: (06) 377 2542
Mt Eden, 126 Valley Road, Ph: 623 3950
Mt Roskill, 72 Carr Road, Ph: 620 5714
Naenae, Cnr Naenae Road and Vogel Street, Ph: (04) 577 8155
Napier, 116 Taradale Road, Ph: (06) 843 1710
New Lynn, 24 Clark Street, Ph: 827 6877
New Plymouth, 132 Molesworth Street, Ph: (06) 759 8100
Newmarket, Cnr Crowhurst and Teed Streets, Ph: (09) 529 4760
Onehunga, 56 Princes Street, Ph: (09) 636 4105
Palmerston North, 217 Main Street, Ph: (06) 357 3052
Panmure, 45A Mt Wellington Highway, Ph: (09) 570 4235
Porirua, Lyttelton Ave, Ph: (04) 237 7954
Pukekohe, 54 Seddon Street, Ph: (09) 237 1022
Rotorua, 10 - 12 Old Taupo Road, Ph: (07) 348 1883
Silverdale, Cnr of Hibiscus Coast Highway and East Coast Road, Ph: 427 9560
Takanini, Cnr 228 Great South & Glenora Roads, Ph: 296 1959
Taupo, Totara Point Retail Centre off Spa Road, ph: (07) 378 1500
Tauranga, 47 Waihi Road, Ph: (07) 578 4169
Te Awamutu, Unit 1, Cnr Albert Park Drive and Cambridge Road, Ph: (07) 871 7020
Te Rapa, 593 Te Rapa Road, Ph: (07) 850 5472
Thorndon, 223 Thorndon Quay, Ph: (04) 471 1112
Upper Hutt, Cnr Fergusson Drive and Montgomery Crescent, Ph: (04) 526 4946
Wairau Park, 8 Croftfield Lane, Ph: 444 4387
Wanganui, 17 Wilson Street, Ph: (06) 348 0048
Warkworth, 29 Glenmore Drive, Ph: (09) 422 2150
Whangarei, 22 Reyburn Street, Ph: (09) 430 2199
Resene PaintWise Collection Centres (South Island):
Addington, 351 Selwyn Street, Ph: (03) 338 1312
Ashburton, 327 Burnett Street, Ph: (03) 307 6510
Blenheim, Cnr McArtney and Redwood Streets, Ph: (03) 577 9200
Christchurch, 256 Cashel Street, Ph: (03) 366 7441
Dunedin, 172 Crawford Street, Ph: (03) 477 6566
Ferrymead, 955 Ferry Road, Ph: (03) 376 4901
Hornby, 278 Main South Road, Christchurch
Invercargill, Cnr Arena Avenue and Victoria Avenue, Ph: (03) 218 2385
Nelson, 75 Haven Road, Ph: (03) 548 7110
Northwood, Unit E3, Northwood Supa Centre, Main Road North, Christchurch, Ph: (03) 323 4492
Oamaru, 190 Thames Street, Ph: (03) 433 1211
Queenstown, 87 Gorge Road, Ph; (03) 442 4152
Shirley, 38 Marshland Road, Ph: (03) 385 5082
Timaru, 8 Elizabeth Street, Ph: (03) 688 4723
Tower Junction, Unit 8-9 Whiteleigh Ave, Ph: (03) 343 3990
In 2005, Resene PaintWise was awarded the ARC Environmental Business Leadership Award and a Packaging Council Award for
Excellence for Environmentally Acceptable Packaging, and in 2008, it was awarded a Green Ribbon award.
… ends