Community RePaint, the UK-wide paint reuse network, has been recognised recently with, not one but, two awards! On Thursday 8 November 2012 Community RePaint Network Co-ordinator Clair Lloyd received the Roger Perry Award for Best Research Paper by the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM).
The award is made annually, and recognises the research being carried out by members of the Institution at Masters and PhD level. It is presented to the best written paper based on a research project. Clair’s paper: ‘Opening up a can of paint? An assessment of the involvement of the civil society in paint re-use in England’, which she completed as part of her post-graduate studies for an MSc in Environmental Strategy, was named winner of the prestigious award by a panel of judges.
The Roger Perry Award comes hot on the heels of recognition for RePaint by local newspaper the Sheffield Telegraph at its annual Environment Awards. Community RePaint was deemed a worthy winner for its work to collect unwanted, surplus paint and re-distribute it to community groups, individuals and families in need.
Network Co-ordinator Clair Lloyd, who is based in Sheffield and collected the award on behalf of Community RePaint, said: “The idea to investigate how much paint people had in their homes, garages and sheds started in Leeds in 1992. The average was a staggering 17 tins, most of which was re-usable. Now almost 20 years on paint re-use is just as relevant, if not more so. Most of us have several tins containing unused paint at home or through our businesses.”
“Finding out more about the third sector organisations that deliver paint re-use in the community was the aim of my research, because, if we are to tackle the issue of leftover paint, it is important that we understand what makes these schemes successful. Paint re-use can offer so many benefits, and I hope that winning the Roger Perry Award will help to raise its profile.”
Clair Lloyd (centre) with John Skidmore, President of CIWM and Julia Bradbury from the BBC’s Countryfile, who presented the Awards.
Last year 332 million litres of paint (retail and trade) were sold in the UK. Of this, it is estimated that approximately 50 million litres was unused, stored in the homes or garages of DIY Brits or simply thrown away. That is enough paint to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
In 2011 the Community RePaint network saved 343,597 litres of paint with a market value of over £1.5 million from going to waste and re-distributed over 217,000 litres to community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and people in need.
Do you need paint? Get in touch with your nearest Community RePaint scheme by clicking on: www.communityrepaint.org.uk/need-paint and entering your postcode or call 0113 200 3959 for more information.
