Community RePaint and Fixy nominated for MRW National Recycling Awards

Two of Resource Futures’ community-focused projects – the paint reuse programme Community RePaint and the electronic waste awareness initiative Fixy – have been shortlisted for this year’s MRW National Recycling Awards.

Community RePaint: shortlisted for ‘Circular Economy Initiative’

The long-standing partnership between Dulux and Resource Futures through the Community RePaint programme has been a shining example of sustainability, innovation, and circularity for over 30 years. As an early pioneer in community-based paint reuse, Community RePaint continues to lead the way in circular solutions within the industry.

Since its inception, the programme has facilitated the reuse and remanufacturing of over 5.4 million litres of paint, with nearly 400,000 litres redistributed in 2023 alone. Without this intervention, the paint would have ended up in environmentally damaging landfill or incineration sites, saving over 14.5 million kilograms of CO₂e.

Over the years, Community RePaint has coloured an estimated 6.7 million lives – including more than 380,000 in 2023 – leaving a lasting social impact on communities across the UK. This achievement marks the largest single contribution to circularity within the paint industry.

Fixy: shortlisted for ‘Partnership Excellence – Public/Private Sector’

Fixy, a mobile reuse initiative, engages Somerset residents on the sustainable use of electrical goods, raising awareness of the importance of repair, reuse, and recycling to tackle electrical waste across the county.

As a regional solution to the UK’s national e-waste problem, Fixy is addressing the country’s position as the world’s second-largest producer of e-waste per capita. A survey by Material Focus revealed that 20 million unused but functional electrical items (worth a combined £5.63 billion) are currently hoarded in UK homes. Barriers to mainstream repair and reuse – such as high repair costs, lack of confidence, data privacy concerns, and low engagement – limit the potential for electrical reuse.

During its pilot phase, Fixy successfully refurbished 1,260 items, donating them to those in digital poverty or diverting them from landfill. Notably, 83% of participants interviewed after the engagement felt ‘very or quite committed’ to repair activities. The scheme has since expanded to trial small electrical recycling for residents in flatted properties.

Both initiatives will find out if they have won at the MRW National Recycling Awards, taking place on 26 November 2024 in London.