May 26 - Amazon Environmental Proves Recycling Paint Profitable
Fridley-based Amazon Environmental Paint makes 12 colors of interior/exterior latex paint by recycling paint leftovers - all those half-empty cans in our basements, collected in community cleanup drives and county household hazardous waste sites - to make its Amazon Select Paint.
Despite the lackluster economy, Amazon's sales are doing well, benefiting from rising demand for green building products, said John Segala, company president and co-owner. Amazon gets its raw material nearly for free, keeps the unwanted paint out of landfills and saves resources that would go to make new paint.
Amazon Select Paint is comparable in quality to new paint sold by national manufacturers, Segala said. At $12 for a 1-gallon and $40 for a 5-gallon pail, it's also cheaper than most brands, he said, and comes with a money-back guarantee.
The company's paint has been certified by the independent Master Painters Institute for meeting specifications for color, gloss, coverage and other standards. It also has received certification from Green Seal, a nonprofit that has developed environmental standards for recycled-content latex paint. The paint is available at Amazon's facility and at Paint Liquidators in Minneapolis.
"Contractors, people with rentals, they like the consistency of getting a good product, getting a really good price and getting that same color six months from now," Kasten said. "This is where Amazon has really come through for us."
Amazon Environmental shows there is a market for recycled paint which is critical since collecting paint is a huge financial burden to states' household hazardous waste program. when states try to pass paint legislation like the Minnesota which recently was vetoed by the Governor. California also has a similar paint legislation, CAW-sponsored AB 1343.