Beloved in New Zealand for its vast spectrum of signature paint hues and papers and innovative products custom made for our climes, Resene is also passionate in its stance on sustainability and environmental friendliness.
“Resene introduced waterborne paints to New Zealand in the 1950s, we removed lead from paint in the 1960s and introduced waterborne enamels here in the 1990s,” says Resene pro Jay Sharples.
“We introduced the paintwise recycling and stewardship program and have been leading the way in lowering or removing the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) used in paint coatings.
“We have the only audited painter/decorator program in New Zealand with the nationwide network of Resene EcoDecorators. We have an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) range of products. EPD is a certified assessment of the environmental impact of a product, including its packaging. It’s based on international standards and is independently verified. It’s widely recognised by industry and governments globally.
“We’re also Toitū carbon reduced certified and a gold foundation member of the NZ Green building council as well as being involved with the Trees That Count initiative that enables planting of native tree projects across New Zealand.
“We’re continually looking for ways to better the environment whilst providing quality coatings.”
Resene advice guru Sam Brough agrees.
“Resene has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and eco-friendly practices and products. Some of this is shown through the Paintwise program [more on this below], getting as many products possible though the hurdles of getting the Environmental Choice Approval tick, Resene Washwise, the Eco Decorator program, getting Toitū Carbon reduce certified and sourcing sustainable paper stock for the colour charts.
“Many of the 10L pails are made from 80% recycled plastic and the boxes that the paint is carted around in are recycled many times over between the Colorshops and the factory. Even the casings of the pens the staff use in the Colorshops are recycled cardboard!
“There are so many things Resene does, it’s probably easier to write a list of what’s not considered environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly!”
Next top product
She nods to several Resene products of particular note on the “great green” front.
“Resene Zylone Sheen: a smooth low sheen yet ultra tough interior wall paint. This has very low VOCs and is commonly used throughout residential and commercial properties. Resene Zylone Zero is a VOC free variant.
“Resene Ceiling Paint has only the smallest amount of VOCs and is highly used throughout homes for a fresh flat ceiling finish.
“Resene Bio Cleaner is newer to the market. After doing lots of R&D the team were able to come up with a powerful high efficiency biodegradable cleaner. A great part is that it’s super easy to use and has mould inhibitors essential to slow mould growth on those shady outdoor areas.”
Prep and prime
Beyond selecting eco-friendly products, Sam says other suitable practices and considerations homeowners can incorporate into their decorating project to reduce their environmental impact include thinking about which accessories can be used to prepare and carry out a project.
“Try to minimise the waste by buying good quality masking tape, brushes and rollers so you can re-use over and over,” she advises.
“Low quality may seem appealing due to price but you may only get a couple of uses before they start to deteriorate. Certain Resene Colorshops will accept soft plastic back to recycle – such as the roller sleeve packets.
Sage (green) advice
“When purchasing online, you can click Green Button to our Resene ColorShop online checkout to give you the option to add a carbon offset to your purchase and balance out the carbon emissions associated with what you've just bought,” says sam
“Your contributions do more than just balancing carbon emissions, though, you'll also be protecting forests, restoring ecosystems and supporting communities.”
Jay adds further tips: “Only buy enough paint for your project, return unused paint to the Resene Colorshop for recycling through the Paintwise project, and use the ‘two container’ system to wash up tools and equipment instead of standing at the laundry sink. You can use masking paper to protect surfaces, which can then be recycled. You could also use masking film for protection, again this can be recycled at soft plastic recycling points.”
Getting paintwise
Resene launched the Resene Paintise programme in 2004, focusing on delivering unwanted paint and paint packaging recovery services and education to minimise the impact of paint wastes on the environment.
“The cost is built into the cost at the time of purchase so you can return unwanted paint or empty pails and cans back to your local Colorshop for recycling,” explains Sam.
“So far, over 3 million packs have been collected. Of this over 400,000kg of steel has been recycled and over 200,000kg of plastic. Over 500,000 litres of solventborne paint has been sent to solvent recovery and over 250,000 litres of paint has been donated to cover graffiti and other community projects. Other waterborne paint is being used and held for the PaintCrete application where waste paint is used as an additive in concrete manufacturing.”
Jay adds that they’ll even take back non Resene product for a small fee.
Article created in partnership with Resene.
