Metro protects the environment by recycling leftover paint
Earth Day is in April. It’s a special holiday to recognize and protect the environment. Organizers say Earth Day is the largest secular (non-religious) holiday in the world. More than one billion people observe Earth Day as “a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.”
Recycling is one familiar example. Many cities in Oregon pick up recycling at the curb. They usually collect paper, glass, and plastic bottles. There are also special drop-off sites for hazardous waste, such as batteries.
Metro is a regional government in the Portland area. Part of its job is to manage waste and recycling. One of its most popular programs is for leftover paint. People can drop off up to 35 gallons of paint per day for free at three locations in the Portland area. The paint does not go to a landfill. Instead, the paint is recycled.
Metro carefully mixes similar colors together in giant batches of 2,000 gallons. It screens, or filters, the paint to remove debris (anything that is not paint). The recycled paint is then ready to use indoors or outdoors. People can buy the recycled paint for only $15 per gallon. Metro says that is about half the cost per gallon compared to new paint.
Miller Paint has many stores around Oregon that sell MetroPaint. The company’s website says recycling paint helps protect the environment in a number of ways. First, it reduces the need for landfill space and protects that land from contamination by hazardous materials. Second, it saves the water needed to make new paint. Third, it prevents pollution from the mining and extraction of raw materials. Finally, people can use the money they save to invest in other environmentally friendly products.
“It’s [a] true form of the most eco-friendly paint product out there because we’re not digging up new, raw materials or resources,” said Oliver Dickston. He is the program coordinator at MetroPaint. “By choosing MetroPaint, you’re helping to remake millions of gallons of latex paint and keeping those resources out of landfills.”
-This story was first published in ESOL News Oregon April 22, 2022.
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Discuss
- The article talks about keeping paint out of the landfills. What is a landfill? If it’s a new word for you, look it up in an online English-English dictionary like Longman. Why do we want to keep things out of landfills? What are other ways we keep things out of landfills besides using Metro’s paint recycling program?
- Why do you think Metro Paint is half the cost of regular paint?
- It’s possible to buy many things that are reused or recycled these days. With your classmates, make a list of as many things you can think of that you don’t need to buy new.
- The article says that recycling is picked up at the curb at many places in Oregon. Not all states in the United States have similar recycling programs. In fact, it varies from state to state. Some states recycle more materials than others; some states don’t recycle much at all. What about in your hometown? What kind of system did you have for trash and recycling? Compare it to the system you now have at your home in Oregon.
Write
- There is an expression in English, “Out of sight, out of mind.” This means that once we can’t see something, we stop thinking about it. Once we throw something away in the trash, we don’t have to think about it anymore. However, that doesn’t mean it’s truly gone. This program of recycling leftover paint helps to extend the life of paint so it doesn’t have to be thrown away. Think about what you regularly throw away in the trash. Can you do anything differently with any of your trash to extend its life? How?
- “Reduce, reuse, recycle” is an easy way to remember how to be sustainable. Recently, people have suggested other “r” words to add: refuse, rot, rethink, repurpose, recirculate, repair. Which of these “r” words seems the most useful to you? Use details and examples to explain your answer.
- With online shopping like Amazon, it’s easier and cheaper than ever to buy new goods rather than reusing or repairing things we already have. How can we resist the thrill of shopping and instead stay focused on the benefits for future generations that will come from buying less?
- The article says that Earth Day is the world’s biggest secular holiday, but has it been effective in achieving its goals? According to the article, Earth Day is “a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.” What kinds of changes have already happened, and what kinds of changes still need to happen in order for Earth to remain a safe place to live?
Sources
“April 20, 2022 – How to Recycle Paint + TopWire Hop Project.” PDXtoday, pdxtoday.6amcity.com/newsletters/. Accessed 20 Apr. 2022.
earthday.org. “The History of Earth Day | Earth Day.” Earth Day, 2019, www.earthday.org/history/. Accessed 20 Apr. 2022.
“Metro Paint.” Millerpaint.com, www.millerpaint.com/metro-paint-new/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2022.04.20%20PDX&utm_term=PDXtoday%20Subscribers%20-%20MASTER#begin. Accessed 20 Apr. 2022.
“MetroPaint.” Metro, 16 Feb. 2022, www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/healthy-home/metropaint?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2022.04.20%20PDX&utm_term=PDXtoday%20Subscribers%20-%20MASTER. Accessed 20 Apr. 2022.
Oregon Metro. “A Day in the Life at MetroPaint.” Www.youtube.com, 14 Mar. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkKF-DkduAE.
