Dear Pay Dirt: a rainbow of Good Person's Good Problems

[jadelennox]

Dear Pay Dirt,

We have a local organization that recycles toxic household items that shouldn’t be thrown in the garbage. Some of these items are put into their “store,” and people can take them for free. I tend to get paint because I like to mix my own colors until I get something I like. That means that I get a lot of different paints from the store.

I recently found out that I am technically not supposed to return these colors to the recycling center attached to the store. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but it is what it is. I have several boxes of paint cans that I need to get rid of. I’m thinking about selling them. I wouldn’t sell for much, but these are high-quality paints. It takes some time and effort to arrange these sales locally, so I think my time is at least worth something. I’m also really struggling financially. I feel a little bit bad that I got these items for free and am trying to sell them. Is it morally wrong for me to sell these leftover paints?

—Paint Problems

Dear Paint Problems,

I don’t think there’s anything unethical about reselling something you got for free because the organization wants people to use them instead of throwing them away. I’m sure no one in the organization would object that you’re being entrepreneurially creative in your usage. The paint isn’t being wasted, which is presumably what the recycling organization is specifically trying to avoid. If you can generate some income this way, too, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

—Elizabeth

Pay Dirt

Comments

[jadelennox]

i know there's not much meat to this one, but so many of the people who write to Pay Dirt are (a) from incomprehensibly wealthy families, (b) from awful families, and/or (c) horribly selfish, that I just loved this precious artistic exceedingly ethical moppet, and the lovely answer they got.

"these are high-quality paints"

"these are high-quality paints"

"these are high-quality paints", y'all.

💙

[futurism]

Asides from the reply and LW's thoughts, wouldn't them mixing the paint to create new colors be a form of labor worth charging for? If they're worried about selling them as they are? Heck, even splitting them in smaller containers and selling them to art students or the like would be a way to go around it. Hopefully LW is feeling better now.

[heavenscalyx]

The cut text now has the song running in my head. I assume you're from the MidAtlantic and grew up on Captain Noah too?