Our UK-wide paint distribution network continues to grow from strength to strength, and we’re delighted to have welcomed our one hundredth Community RePaint member! Dotted across the country – from the Isle of Wight to the Scottish Highlands – our network members collect leftover and unwanted paint and use it to colour peoples’ lives through […]
Our UK-wide paint distribution network continues to grow from strength to strength, and we’re delighted to have welcomed our one hundredth Community RePaint member!
Dotted across the country – from the Isle of Wight to the Scottish Highlands – our network members collect leftover and unwanted paint and use it to colour peoples’ lives through individuals and groups in the community, promoting paint reuse and saving waste.
The challenge posed by wasted paint is truly staggering. Shelves in Britain’s sheds and garages across the country are stacked with half-used paint tins; for each DIYer in the UK (that’s 53% of the population!), there is an average of four cans of paint gathering dust. Collectively, this leads to 50 million litres of paint being wasted each year – enough to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Our impact continues to grow – in the past year we supported 44,500 people, 2,500 community groups and prevented more than 366,000 litres of paint from being wasted through landfill or incineration. This saved almost 1 million kilos of CO2e, as well as providing consumers with approximately £2.8m in savings (compared to typical retail pricing).
There is still much more to do to turn the tide on paint waste: a recent study from Community RePaint’s sponsor Dulux revealed that 23% of British people still do nothing with their leftover paint after they’ve used it, while one in ten people are holding onto paint past its expiry date, rather than donating it at a local Community RePaint reuse point for redistribution or remanufacturing.
“Community RePaint is determined to find a solution for the 50 million litres of paint that go to waste in the UK each year,” comments Lilian Graves, Communications Coordinator for Community RePaint. “If every unwanted, forgotten can of paint was donated to our network, that represents a whole lot of a little actions that add up to create a massive difference.”
Want to know where your local donation or paint pick-up store is located? Use Our Community RePaint postcode search here.
