In the heart of Kannapolis, North Carolina, you’ll find a little tint shop with a big heart for the environment. Owned and operated by Darrin Darling, The Tint Shop Plus might specialize in keeping sunlight at bay, but it shines when it comes to eco-friendly practices. With a touch of ingenuity, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of heart, Darling and his crew have turned their shop into a surprisingly sustainable operation—one that celebrates Earth Day every day, in small but meaningful ways.

From left: The Tint Shop Plus owner, Darrin Darling; architectural and commercial installer Randall Mayberry; and Kyle Darling, the owner’s son, who “can also handle all things auto and architectural.”

Saving the Planet, One Microfiber Towel at a Time

Darling’s been in the window film business since 1990, and over the decades, he’s watched not just the evolution of tinting technology—but also how small changes can make a big difference for the environment.

“We do not use paper towels and only use microfiber towels,” Darling says. “We have changed the use of fluorescent bulbs to LED and have our climate controls set to timers that help with our heating and cooling bills.”

The Tint Shop Plus changed the use of fluorescent bulbs to LED to save on electricity.

It’s not just about the light bulbs and towels, though. The shop keeps water usage impressively low, especially considering how much cleaning and prepping goes into a typical auto tint job. “I use about four cups or less of water per four-door car installation from prep to finish,” Darling explains. To take things even further, a couple of bricks now live in the shop’s toilet tanks to limit water waste—proving that sometimes, old-school tricks are still some of the best.

Paper usage? Kept to a minimum. Online scheduling handles the bulk of customer communications, and even the paper receipts get a second life. “If we have to reprint a page, we use the old one as scrap paper and it’s cut into 8 small pieces for that,” he says.

Trash or Treasure? Just Ask the Tint Guy

While some might toss leftover materials without a second thought, Darling sees potential in almost everything. Old roll cores and plastic end caps? Those become pen holders, business card caddies, and even heat gun holsters.

“I used to have a sculpture that I created using the cores. I made a human-style figure and he was known as the Tint Guy,” Darling says with a chuckle. “He would sit outside as a flag holder that said ‘open.’ He got destroyed in a storm one day. I wish I had a picture of him but that was a long time ago.”

Darling helps turn old tint roll cores and end caps into heat-gun holsters.

Though the Tint Guy has blown away with the wind, the creative spirit is still very much alive—thanks in large part to Darling’s wife, Joyce. Her art studio, Darling Arts Studio & Gallery, has become a second life for many of the shop’s discarded materials.

“She uses a lot of our end caps, cores, and even the release liner for wrapping her pottery sculptures for shipping,” Darling says. “The latest creation that my wife used an end cap and core was for a table centerpiece for a church where she created a tree representing the Garden of Eden.”

Not to be outdone, the shop’s empty cardboard boxes are sliced and diced into perfect-sized shipping containers for Joyce’s handmade mugs. A single 40-inch box can be transformed into five smaller ones, and if that’s not recycling in style, what is?

Art Class Meets Tint Shop

The Darling family’s passion for repurposing materials has spilled into the community, too—specifically, the local high school. “We also have a local art teacher from one of the high schools that uses these cores and end caps for his classroom for various creations,” Darling says. When the scraps and leftovers really can’t be reused, the town’s recycling program steps in.

A local high school collects waste from Darling’s business and uses it for art school projects.

What The Tint Shop Plus lacks in industry-wide change, it makes up for in good old-fashioned resourcefulness. From micro water use to macro creativity, Darling and his team are proving that environmental responsibility isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about the everyday stuff.

So this Earth Day, if you happen to be in Kannapolis, keep an eye out for a tint shop with a green soul—and maybe ask about the Tint Guy while you’re there.