Celebrating 25 years of the Community RePaint network

Our Community RePaint Network is 25 years old! We celebrated during Recycle Week 2018 with a wealth of local and national publicity: #RePaint25.

The Community RePaint network was formed in 1993. The potential for the network was first realised in 1992 during a pilot project in Leeds. It was called the Waste Wagon project, and was run by the Special Collections Research Group set up by Leeds City Council, to address issues with household hazardous waste. The group included representatives from a number of organisations, including paint manufacturers, DIY retailers and environmental organisations. The Waste Wagon project found that we tend to store large volumes of leftover, reusable paint in our sheds, garages and cupboards. As part of the project, this leftover paint was collected from householders, along with other DIY materials and hazardous items. At the end of the project, the paint was given to local charities and groups, which highlighted the demand for affordable paint amongst these organisations, as well as a need amongst individuals and families on low income.

Despite us living in an era where recycling is king, seven in ten people don’t realise that you can reuse paint. However, an overwhelming 92 percent of those asked in a recent survey said they would be likely to pass on unwanted paint to be used by those in need it.

In 2017, Community RePaint received more than 432,000 litres of leftover paint from householders, traders and paint manufacturers. Through the network, more than 300,000 litres of paint were distributed, which coloured the lives of more than 316,000 people.

Our 25 year celebrations, run in conjunction with Dulux who are the Network sponsor, have been promoting the Network to the wider community, making local people, community groups and councils aware of the opportunities available. The celebrations were covered by the Guardian and many local papers.

Kathryn Ledson, marketing director of Dulux, says:

“A simple tin of paint has the potential to transform many more lives beyond the four walls it was originally intended for.

“We know the positive impact that colour has on people’s lives and throughout our 25 years of partnership, Community RePaint has transformed the lives of five million people through colour. As we continue to grow, more people who might not otherwise be able to afford paint will be able to benefit from the community led schemes.

“For people at home with tins of paint in the shed or garage, it’s definitely time to pass it on, safe in the knowledge that as well as stopping it going to landfill, you’ll also be helping your local community at the same time.”

Martin Pearse, Community RePaint Network Manager from Resource Futures, says:

“Every bit of reused paint makes a difference. Working with Dulux over the past 25 years, we’ve seen the transformation that affordable paint can bring to charities, communities, and those in social need across the UK.

“Additionally, Community RePaint supports councils and waste management companies by diverting reusable paint from the waste stream.

“As the number of Community RePaint schemes grows, more individuals and groups will have access to our paint, brightening more homes, buildings and public spaces across the country.”

Householders are encouraged to calculate the amount of paint needed for the job to avoid buying too much and can use the Dulux guidelines to do so here.

Read about the project here or go the Community RePaint website.