Eco friendly

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From the early removal of lead in its paints to the introduction of waterborne enamels, Resene has a long-standing commitment to environmentally friendly products.

Paint specification is not only about colour selection – these days it's also about choosing the ecologically sustainable option.

Resene has pioneered moves to more environmentally friendly paints, beginning in the 1950s with the introduction of waterborne paints and continuing through the 1970s with the removal of lead in paint products. In 1996, the company took a further step forward, joining the Environmental Choice programme.

Marketing manager Karen Warman says joining the programme gave Resene the impetus to solve the common problem of customer headaches caused by strong smelling paint. Resene chemists removed virtually all odorous material from Resene Zylone Sheen, Zylone 20 and Ceiling Paint, giving users high quality products without strong smelling solvent odours. This helped reduce the incidence of nausea, headaches, respiratory complaints and allergic reactions.

"The second part of the solution was to introduce waterborne products that could be used in place of solventborne products, such as Resene Enamacryl and Resene Lustacryl," says Warman.

More recently, in 2004, Resene established PaintWise, a service that encourages the return of unwanted paint and paint packaging to selected Resene ColorShops. The scheme boosts recycling and helps reduce the burden on landfills.

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