7 INNOVATIONS IN ECO PAINTS
Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, details a new launch idea
What has been the biggest eco issue facing the paint industry?
Wastage. About 60,000 litres of our paint was going to waste each year from products returned by customers. We’d donate as much as we could, but charities, theatres and schools only wanted so much.
And what was your solution?
To take the wastage, mix it up and make beautiful new paint! It took about two years of work, but we have managed to figure out that if you blend certain proportions of some of our colours, you get exact versions of some of our most popular shades. For example, French Grey in this Re:mix collection is made up of Loft White, Jack Black and Stockmid. Sage Green was the hardest one to get right.
You really can’t tell the difference?
They’re pretty much spot on! Finish-wise, these recycled paints are a mix of absolute matt, intelligent matt and intelligent eggshell, and their sheen level is around 5%. This means that they are tough and ideal for hallways and kitchens.
Why didn’t you just resell the paint that was returned?
Logistically, that was much harder than it seems. You never got quite enough back of the colour or finish you were looking for and storage was expensive and difficult. The benefit of Re:mix, other than using paint destined for landfill, is that it’s a little cheaper – at £28 for 2.5ltr – so is ideal for anyone who wants to experiment with colour. We’re really excited to have solved this problem – all the effort and attention we put it into feels worthwhile.