Approximately 78 million gallons of paint are wasted every year in the United States. Most of it ends up in landfills, where it can leach harmful chemicals into the environment, and those half-used cans sitting in garages don't do much good either.
That's where Up Paint comes in. Founded by paint industry veteran Dustin Martin, the startup is turning leftover latex paint into brand-new, usable products, according to Fast Company, helping to close the loop on a notoriously wasteful industry.
"It's a win-win," Martin told Fast Company while reflecting on the company's mission.
Up Paint works with partners like PaintCare and GreenSheen to collect unused water-based paint from various drop-off sites across the country. From there, it's filtered to remove impurities and re-pigmented into one of 18 vibrant shades in the Up Paint lineup.
To make recycling even easier, it launched the Up Box, a paint mail-back initiative.
Each kit comes with cardboard boxes, pre-cut tape, lid-securing clips, and prepaid shipping labels. Consumers can pack up their leftover water-based paint and send it off to be transformed into something useful again.
This initiative not only simplifies paint disposal for consumers but also reinforces Up Paint's commitment to a circular economy.
It's a small step that adds up, especially when paired with bigger moves, like its partnership with Michaels, which brought Up Paint's products to more than 1,200 Michaels stores nationwide.
"Our mission is to provide earth-kind products, and the collaboration with Michaels allows us to bring sustainable products to an even broader audience," shared Martin in a press release.
And it's not stopping there. It's partnered with TerraCycle to create Paint Zero Waste Box, designed to help keep unused paint out of landfills and oceans to reduce plastic pollution and microplastic waste.
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Energy independence âš¡ Up Paint is making it easier and more accessible for consumers to choose greener options without compromising on quality or price.
"It's better for the planet, but it's also better for the customers' wallet," Martin told Fast Company.
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