The Green Project is seeking volunteers to help for the second year of the City of New Orleans Paint Reclamation Project at Household Hazardous Materials (HHM) Collection Day. Volunteers will divert usable paint from incineration; provide nonprofits, schools, artists and residents with free paint; give New Orleans residents a safe way to dispose of household hazardous waste; and help protect our environment.

Reclaimed, usable paint will be provided to nonprofits, schools and artists—free of charge!

Morning shift: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Afternoon shift: 11:00 a.m. – 2 p.m.
All-day shift: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Interested volunteers should email Bryce at [email protected] to confirm a spot.

OFFICIAL FLYER

As of April 2019, the Green Project is actively seeking new board members to join our team. Board members participate in monthly meetings, advise TGP staff, support the Green Project’s mission in the store and throughout the community, and share our story with our New Orleans neighbors. Joining the board is a great way to help us grow!

People of all backgrounds, experience levels and skillsets are welcome to apply. New board members will be voted on at our Annual Member Meeting in June.

To apply, please download and complete an application. Applications are due on May 17th.

In partnership with the City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation, the Green Project is reclaiming usable paint from Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day and giving it to nonprofits, artists and residents—free of charge! All paint will be sorted by kind & color. To get your free paint, please complete this Paint Request Form.

PAINT PICK UP LOCATION, DATES & TIMES

The Department of Sanitation will allow access to its facility, located at 2829 Elysian Fields Avenue, for paint pick ups ONLY on the dates and times listed below.

Nonprofits, Churches, Artists, Schools

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 • 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 • 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Nonprofits, Churches, Artists, Schools AND Residents

Thursday, May 23, 2019 • 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Official Flyer

To the Green Project Community –

It is with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I announce my departure from the Green Project and New Orleans as I begin a new adventure in Atlanta. 

During the past three years, those that have walked through our warehouse gates have consistently inspired me. With the return of Salvations, 30 incredible pieces of creativity exhibited the raw potential that everyday items can carry. The unveiling of our MakerSpace brought empowerment and skills to our residents from the Girl Scouts receiving their Woodworking Badge to longtime homeowners learning how to repair drywall patches. This year, over 1 million pounds of building materials were diverted from the landfills thanks to the tireless work of the GP staff, over 1,000 volunteers, and our members that take on the scavenger hunt/shopping experience within our store.   

The Green Project is in a great position to continue growing the culture of creative reuse throughout southeast Louisiana. I am proud to leave the organization with the committed team of staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, and Green Project members that make our mission happen every day! Please check out the Executive Director job posting and consider whether you or someone you know might be a good fit to lead this amazing team.

I am forever grateful and honored to have been given the opportunity to guide this incredible organization and will watch with excitement to see what it accomplishes in the next 25 years!

All my best,
Catherine Crowell

To our community of makers —

After careful consideration, the Green Project has decided to temporarily close the MakerSpace effective immediately and until further notice. All workshops will continue as planned through the end of October.

This decision was made between our Board of Directors and administration out of concern for safety and program sustainability. Our team will spend the next few months re-developing the MakerSpace program to address these issues and bring our community a safe and lasting space in the future.

I know this is tough news, so please reach out with any and all questions ([email protected]). Thank you for utilizing the MakerSpace and proving that New Orleans needs a space for creative reuse projects to come to life.

This is not goodbye forever, just for now. I hope you understand and we look forward to re-engaging our local makers when the time comes.

With gratitude,
Hailey Allison

The Green Project will stop accepting paint beginning December 2, 2019 through
February 1, 2020.

We currently have so much paint that some is going bad while waiting to be recycled—we don’t want that! We plan to spend this time playing catch up and getting organized so that we can continue recycling paint for the New Orleans community throughout the remainder of 2020. 

So, what do I do with my paint?!

Fear not…there are a couple of things you can do with your latex paint while we are on hiatus.

HARDEN WITH SAW DUST

The Green Project will be giving away bags of sawdust—courtesy of GoodWood NOLA—that can be used to harden latex/water-based paint by mixing it together with your paint and letting it air dry for 24-72 hours. Once hard and dry, water-based paint is safe to dispose of in your curbside garbage. 

HOLD ONTO IT

You are also welcome to hold on to your paint until we begin accepting it again effective February 2020, so long as it meets the guidelines below.

NEW GUIDELINES FOR PAINT DISPOSAL

1. Donated paint must be water-based—that means only latex or acrylic paint. 

2. Paint must have a readable label so that we can properly identify the type of paint. 

3. Cans or buckets must be ⅓ of the way full or more. If a can or bucket has ⅓ or less paint, please dry it out and dispose of it in your curbside recycling. (See Guidelines for Paint Disposal.)

4. Paint must be in usable condition—that means free of putrid odors, no hardening, no particulates. 

5. We cannot accept textured, sparkly, or chalk paint. 

Why the new guidelines?

Unfortunately, too much of the paint that we receive comes to us in unusable condition. It is either too old, too little or not the right type. Because of this, we have to spend time and resources properly disposing of bad paint, limiting our ability to recycle and resell good paint at an affordable price.

Support the Program

We have our work cut out for us as we play catch up! We would appreciate your support during this time. Donate to our paint recycling efforts right here.

In 2019, our beloved box truck Bess made over 600 pick ups of usable materials across New Orleans!

Sad thing is…Bess has a bunch of holes in her roof, her A/C is shot, and she is just too small, old, frail and ready to retire!

So, we’re fundraising to bring in the New Year with a new truck!

We’ll be able to do more pick up runs and reclaim 25% MORE materials annually–through donation pick ups alone.

Like every other small business in New Orleans, the Green Project is closely following the COVID-19 outbreak, preparing based on information from the CDC and City of New Orleans, and acting accordingly. Of most importance is the health and safety of our staff and community.

As of March 16, 2020, the Green Project remains open Monday through Saturday, 9am-5pm. In order to protect the health and safety of our staff and customers, the following changes are in effect:

• Our Volunteer Program, Donation Pick Up Program, and Environmental Education Program are paused until further notice. Unfortunately, we will not allow volunteer help at this time, we will not be picking up materials from the community, and we will not participate in outreach events for the foreseeable future.

• Our Donation Driveway hours will be limited to Saturday from 10am-4pm. Please hold on to your donations until Saturdays, or until things settle down in the coming months. 

• We are cleaning the cash wrap, cart handles, pens, bathrooms, door handles & the water filter frequently using CDC-approved cleaner.

• We have switched to credit & debit cards only to avoid contamination through cash handling.

• Cashiers are sanitizing their hands and the POS station between each transaction.

• We are providing hand sanitizer to customers and staff at the register and in the Donation Driveway.

• Staff have been instructed to wash and sanitize their hands frequently. We ask that customers do the same!

• Bathrooms have been reserved for staff use only.

• If staff are sick, they are asked to stay home.

• While elbow bumps are better than high-fives, we ask that all staff and customers limit contact and work to remain 6 feet apart as much as possible.

We’re not sure what lies ahead for us, or any other business that relies on steady sales to keep afloat. Please refer to our website and social media for updates and potential closures. 

As we all navigate this uncharted territory, remember to be kind to each other, be smart and stay safe—we’re all in this together.

With gratitude,
Hailey Allison
Executive Director

As a nonprofit, we survive only through the support of our beloved community. Consider a small contribution to the Green Project to help us make it through this trying time.

In light of the Mayor Cantrell’s proclamation on May 16th directing numerous non-essential businesses in New Orleans to close, it is in the best interest of the Green Project and our community to close beginning Tuesday, 3/17, until further notice. 

Any updates will be posted on our website or social media (Facebook & Instagram).