Painting redistribution scheme Community RePaint, will mark its 20th anniversary next week (15 – 21 July), by running a series of competitions across the country.
Sponsored by paint manufacturer Dulux since 1993, and managed by environmental consultancy Resource Futures, the scheme receives donations of unwanted or surplus paint and redistributes it to individuals in need and community projects.
In 2012 alone, 65 Community RePaint schemes reportedly redistributed 218,364 litres of unwanted paint to 2,214 community groups and 17,296 individuals, providing 190 jobs and 1,274 volunteer and training opportunities.
20th anniversary celebrations
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the organisation will run ‘events and initiatives to publicise the benefits of paint reuse’ starting on Monday (15 July).
Held at Community RePaint projects across the country, visitors will have the chance to pick up free gifts, such as a decorating kit containing a paint tray, roller and Community RePaint-branded paint brushes, as well as car stickers and trolley tokens.
Community RePaint will also be holding a competition for community groups for the best project that improves the wellbeing of local people or the appearance of local places, with the winner receiving up to 20 litres of paint.
Dulux has also produced two short films on the subject of paint reuse in recognition of the project’s work. The first of the films ‘A Tale of Two Cans’ is now available to view online.
Commenting on the anniversary, Martin Pearse, Community RePaint Network Manager, said: “The aim of our 20th anniversary celebrations is to demonstrate how Community RePaint schemes can make a real difference to the lives of local people.
“Community RePaint offers a simple solution to the problem of waste paint. By reusing it in our communities and within families on low incomes, we can bring a splash of colour to the lives of those who need it most, and help to protect the environment by preventing perfectly good paint from ending up in landfill.”
Paul Murgett, Environmental Projects Co-ordinator at Dulux, added: “Dulux is proud to sponsor this fantastic network and is grateful for all the work each scheme does to promote the potential of paint reuse.”
Read more about Community RePaint.
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