Students looking to renovate a new apartment might start ignoring Home Depot and going to the Green Project of New Orleans. This non-profit organization’s stated goal is to help the environment and the public by offering recycled paint and building materials at a fraction of the cost. This is how it works: People bring in extra lumber and paint, or old ceiling fans, light fixtures, tiles, bricks, cabinets and other items replaced during home renovations. The Green Project cleans and repairs the materials and sells them back to the community for less than half the retail price. The Green Project started in 1994 with the paint exchange. “Paint is the big lure,” said Renee Allie, director of the Green Project. For some serious re-modeling, The Green Project even provides bathtubs and sinks.Volunteers at The Green Project earn three Green Bucks an hour. Green Bucks can be used toward any purchase at The Green Project.Patrick Farrell, an employee of The Green Project, is fixing up his kitchen with a little help from his roommates and a lot of materials from The Green Project. “When it’s all said and done, we will have at least saved $1,000, but we could have never done it without The Green Project.” Employees and customers are not the only ones who consider the project beneficial. “The city thinks [The Green Project] is a great project because it saves us money,” said Lisa Maack, deputy director of Environmental Affairs for the City of New Orleans. “It also teaches citizens they don’t have to throw everything away, because one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure.”The Green Project can be reached at www.home.earthlink.net/~greenproject or 4321 D’Hemecourt Street, off of CarrolLton Avenue.