Members of Community RePaint South Lancashire with Dion and Jamie Monks, who had their Manchester council house repainted with donated paint while Dion was receiving treatment for leukaemia.
Paint reuse scheme, Community RePaint, has announced that in 2012 it reused 465 tonnes of donated, leftover paint and created 190 jobs.
The scheme – sponsored by paint company Dulux and co-ordinated by Bristol-based non-profit distributing environmental consultancy, Resource Futures – has 67 UK networks which collect unwanted, surplus paint and re-distribute it to local charities, community and voluntary groups and individuals ‘in need’ for a ‘nominal cost’.
It aims to promote the message of reuse and recycling and reduce the estimated 50 million litres of unused paint that is stored or thrown away in the UK every year.
Work achieved in 2012
According to Community RePaint, in 2012 householders, traders and paint manufacturers donated 387,495 litres (465 tonnes) of paint to the scheme, which in turn were distributed to 2,214 community groups and 17,296 individuals - resulting in the creation of 190 jobs and 1,274 volunteer and training opportunities.
Paul Murgett, Environmental Project Co-ordinator at Community RePaint, said: “Over the last 20 years Community RePaint has made a huge difference to families across the UK through the reuse of paint. 2012 was no different and the figures show another fantastic effort to enhance the lives of those in need through both decorating and work or training opportunities.“
Martin Pearse, Network Manager at Community RePaint, added: “The Community RePaint Network is made up of 67 schemes across the UK, and we will be taking every opportunity to promote our 20th anniversary this year to raise awareness of paint reuse so that more individuals and community groups than ever before can benefit from brighter homes and communities.”
Read more about the Community RePaint Network.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.