THAT CAN-DO attitude

DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A RIGHT AND A WRONG WAY TO DISPOSE OF UNWANTED PAINT?

You’ve just finished painting your house. Is there a better way of disposing of unwanted paint rather than taking it to the tip? You can take unwanted paints and containers to your local Resene ColorShop. They take all brands and will recycle or dispose of them responsibly. There’s a small charge for non-Resene branded products (25c per litre) but the rest is free. Good-quality paint will be offered to community groups for re-use. If you’re a community group, you can apply to Resene for paint. Selected ColorShops have been designated Collection Centres. Go online to Paintwise at resene.co.nz/paintwise to find out which stores are Collection Centres. Good on Resene for this service as some six litres of paint is sold per person in New Zealand every year. It could end up a real disposal problem if not dealt with responsibly.

Why do you sometimes have to pay for a blood test, but not at other times?

The funding rules change frequently and can differ in different parts of New Zealand. But most tests requested by

GPs are paid for by your district health board (DHB). Some less-common tests, such as zinc plasma, have charges patients must pay if requested by a GP or sports doctor. If requested by a specialist, these less-common tests are free. The cost of them runs between $20 and more than $500, so check first. You also have to pay if the blood test is part of a job application, employment-related health testing, immigration or visa medicals, if you’re a non-New Zealand resident, and for the limited range of blood tests, which you can get without a doctor.