There is a very strange phenomenon that all homeowners have to deal with at some time or another. It goes something like this: an unsuspecting homeowner paints her living room a lovely shade of Moss Green. She uses all but several inches of the paint in the can, replaces the lid tightly and deposits the can into one of the dark corners of her basement. Six or seven years pass, the nicely sealed Moss Green can all but forgotten. Then one day, after re-painting the living room a beautiful Buttery Yellow, she returns to the dark basement corner with the unused portion of new paint to find nine cans of partially-used paint lurking there with Moss Green – somehow that one lonely can of unused paint had replicated itself 9 times!
Yes, I counted 10 cans of old used paint gathering dust in the darkest corners of my basement last night. How they all got there, I have no idea. Only one of the colors is still on the walls at my home, so that means there are nine cans of paint that will eventually need to be disposed of.
If you are fortunate enough to live in one of the states that has implemented an innovative paint stewardship program called PaintCare, getting rid of those dusty, unwanted cans of old paint would be as easy as heading to your neighborhood paint store. This stewardship program is currently operating in only a handful of states; however, there are more states considering becoming a part of this program in the future.
The novel thing about the PaintCare program is that drop-off sites for old used paint are paint and decorating retailers. This approach has created an easy way for consumers to drop off all of those unwanted cans of used paint, while also doing something good for the environment. Consumer awareness is the key to the program’s success, so POS materials have been developed for participating retailers to share with their customers.
How can this program benefit participating retailers? Participating in a recycling program such as PaintCare will help brand your store as one that is environmentally friendly. Consumers appreciate knowing that the places they shop are helping to save our beautiful planet.
In addition to becoming a convenient resource for local residents to bring in old cans of paint, you as a retailer will have a chance to “show your stuff” to prospective new customers. You will have people who have never set foot in your store bringing in paint cans, and when welcomed by friendly staff, informative marketing materials (such as PDRA’s Plug and Play Digital Store Signage) and a beautiful array of the latest paint and sundries, they just may linger and make a purchase or two. At the very least, your store will be tucked away in their memory for future paint purchases.
With minimal overhead or work involved (PaintCare will empty collection bins and bring new bins if needed), as well as the benefits to the environment and possibly your own bottom line, participating in a paint stewardship program such as PaintCare is something every paint and decorating retailer should think about. It’s definitely a win – win proposition!
More information about the PaintCare program is available at www.paintcare.org.
