RONA First National Retailer to Recover Unused Paint in Western Canada

BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 4, 2011) - RONA inc. (TSX:RON)(TSX:RON.PR.A), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, continues to lead the way in helping Canadians reduce their environmental impact with the launch of its in-store paint recovery program in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Starting today, consumers can drop off cans of any brand of old or unused paint at any RONA or TOTEM Building Supplies store, no purchase necessary. By promoting the recovery of paint products, RONA provides consumers with an easy, convenient and economical way to do their part in protecting the environment.

RONA has been a Canadian pioneer in paint recovery from the start with the introduction of its recovery and recycling program 14 years ago in Quebec, followed by Ontario in 2008. Since its inception, RONA has saved more than 15 million kilograms of leftover paint and paint cans from ending up in landfills. From this, nearly 100 percent of the recovered paint has been recycled, producing 9.3 million kilograms of paint - equivalent to 4.9 million gallons.

"At RONA, our goal is to help Canadians adopt eco-friendly habits and responsible consumption," says Luc Rodier, RONA's Vice President – Western Canada. "We believe the correlation of green consumer habits is closely tied to availability and convenience and know from experience that it is easy for customers to remember to bring their unused paint to our stores when shopping for hardware and home renovation products."

The introduction of the program in the three western provinces is a significant new contribution to paint recovery and recycling efforts in Canada and will result in a total of nearly 500 RONA paint collection points across the country. In-store promotions will continue to remind RONA and TOTEM Building Supplies customers to help keep unused paint out of landfills and waterways by participating in the recovery program.

All types of home paint – latex, alkyd and stains – are accepted under RONA's recovery and recycling program. The program does not include plastic paint, car paint, industrial paint, aluminum paint, road sign paint, granular dye, surface conditioners, varnish, solvents, tar, adhesives or preservative. A detailed list of the specific products that are accepted is available at ronaeco.ca. RONA participates in paint recovery and recycling in partnership with industry funded organizations, including the Product Care Association (PCA). The PCA manages product stewardship programs for household hazardous and special waste on behalf of its members across Canada.

RONA ECO and eco-responsible products

RONA stores now offer more than 450 RONA ECO products, including RONA ECO paint and a wide selection of eco-responsible paints, stains and varnishes under various brands. These, and all products in the RONA ECO line, adhere to the strictest standards and ecolabel requirements, assuring Canadians that they generate a smaller environmental footprint than equivalent standard items. More information about RONA ECO products is available at ronaeco.ca.

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of more than 950 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 17 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, please visit rona.ca.