Canadian retailer expands paint recycling program

RONA, the largest Canadian retailer of hardware, renovation, and gardening products, has expanded their in-store paint recovery and recycling program to British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. RONA says it's now the first retailer to collect and recycle old and unused household paints from consumers in Western Canada.

The company launched its paint recovery program in Quebec in 1997, and in Ontario in 2008. With its expansion into Western Canada as of July 4, the program now includes 500 collection sites at RONA and TOTEM Building Supplies stores across the country, where consumers may drop off cans of unwanted home paint. 

Through the paint recovery program, RONA seeks to promote environmental protection by preventing unused paint from being deposited in landfills and waterways. “At RONA, our goal is to help Canadians adopt eco-friendly habits and responsible consumption,” said RONA’s Vice President in Western Canada, Luc Rodier. “We believe the correlation of green consumer habits is closely tied to availability and convenience and know from experience that it is easy for customers to remember to bring their unused paint to our stores when shopping for hardware and home renovation products.” 

In-store collection points will accept all types of home paints, including latex, alkyd, and stains, of any brand. A full list of products accepted for recycling is available at ronaeco.ca. 

RONA takes part in the paint recovery program in cooperation with industry organizations including the Product Care Association (PCA), which manages product stewardship programs for household waste throughout Canada. 

-- Allison Har-Zvi