Hirshfield’s is reported to be the only paint manufacturer in the Twin Cities area to reprocess leftover, or post-consumer, paint. The company has been producing recycled paint for the past four years on a project-by-project basis, and the paint has been used at the University of Minnesota and other large facilities.

For the Paint-A-Thon program, Hirshfield’s obtained paint from household hazardous waste collection sites, and mixed the paint with “virgin” materials to produce a tan-colored paint. The company conducts a variety of tests during and after the manufacturing process to prevent contamination by microorganisms and to ensure the paint meets scrub-resistance, adhesion, rheology, and pH standards.

Hirshfield’s Executive Vice President Mark Uglem said community involvement and environmental responsibility are priorities at the company. “I think any responsible manufacturer — if it is at all possible — should recycle its product, whatever it happens to make,” Uglem said.