going green

A global study commissioned by the British Government has rated Environmental Choice New Zealand as having one of the strongest environmental assessments in the world. Environmental Choice was cited as an example of best practice in environmental labelling internationally by Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Environmental Choice New Zealand’s green and black logo, neatly combining New Zealand’s iconic colour black with the recognised green for the environment, is the symbol found on products which have been independently audited under the world-leading eco certification.

Users of Resene paint will recognise the label from Resene’s paint tins and buckets. Resene was the first paint company to get an extensive range of its products accredited to this very stringent eco-label back in 1996.

Joining the Environmental Choice programme gave Resene the impetus to remove virtually all odorous material from Resene Zylone Sheen, Resene Zylone 20 and Resene Ceiling Paint, giving users high quality products without strong smelling solvent odours. Users could paint interior areas and put the area back into service almost immediately, rather than waiting for days for the strong odours to disappear.

Resene also introduced waterborne products that could be used in place of solventborne products, such as waterborne enamels Resene Enamacryl and Resene Lustacryl. Customers reaped the benefits of easy water wash-up, lower odour and a fraction of the VOCs of the solventborne products they had traditionally been forced to use for wet areas, trim and joinery.

Environmental Choice’s general manager, Robin Taylor, said the results of the global study was like scoring an Olympic medal for the environment.

“This global achievement is of such significance that it uplifts our country’s whole environmental reputation. It puts Environmental Choice on the map with organisations that are legendary for their commitment, their standards and depth of authority, and whose breadth of environmental certification shows the way forward. The Ministry for the Environment, which owns the label, has much to be proud of.”

Visit www.environmentalchoice.org.nz for more information. In Australia the Good Environmental Choice Label indicates the environmental performance of a product from a whole-of-product-life perspective for consumer goods. The label is awarded to products that meet voluntary environmental performance standards which have been created and assessed in conformance to international environmental labelling standards. The program is internationally recognised and growing in demand and awareness throughout different industries.

A success story

Unwanted paint and paint packaging can be returned to most Resene ColorShops in New Zealand. See your Resene ColorShop or Resene PaintWise.

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Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.

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