Press release - 6 April 2008 - Waste paint beats graffiti
Resene has had controls on spray paint sales for many years to minimise the damage caused by the misuse of these items and has now decided to take those controls further by ceasing sales to the public from 1 May 2008. After the 1 May 2008, Resene owned ColorShops will only sell spray cans to bonafide Resene trade customers

Resene Managing Director, Nick Nightingale says “We believe that the detrimental effect of spray cans on the environment outweighs the income we derive from the sale of these products to the public".

Resene resellers and stockists are also being encouraged to join Resene in ceasing to sell spray paints to the public from 1 May 2008.

The Resene PaintWise service is helping communities beat graffiti all over the country with over 40,000 litres of grey PaintWise EchoPaint donated free of charge to community groups and councils. This is sufficient paint to cover over 400,000 square metres of graffiti.

PaintWise EchoPaint is waterborne paint recovered as part of the Resene PaintWise paint and paint packaging programme. Community groups interested in paint can apply for PaintWise paint donations online or fill in a Resene PaintWise Community Paint form at Resene owned ColorShops.

Unwanted paint and paint packaging can be returned to the Resene PaintWise service at over 40 Resene ColorShops around New Zealand. Resene paint is free to return and a small charge of $1 per 4L can or smaller and $2.50 per 10L pack or more applies to non Resene paint. Returned paint is donated to community groups, used to cover graffiti, packaging is recycled, solventborne paint is sent to solvent recycling and other waterborne paints are diverted to non-paint uses. In the last 14 months alone, over 160,000 packs have been returned to the service.