Old paint never dies

Several companies take back customers’ unused paints -- usually large quantities bought by commercial operations -- then filter, remix and resell them. It reduces waste headed for the landfill, saves the energy used to manufacture new paint and usually saves money. One downside: limited colors.

The Sundance Catalog’s six-color Prairie Paints line is 100% recycled content (supposedly overages returned by decorators). Go to www.sundancecatalog.com and click on “Home Decor.” Kelly Moore has seven stock colors of “E coat,” paint with at least 50% post-consumer content. Go to www.kellymoore.com and click on “Products.”