Community RePaint hits 100 network members

Our longest-standing community project Community RePaint has celebrated a key milestone with the addition of its one hundredth network member.

Community RePaint’s network of paint redistribution sites collects leftover and unwanted paint and finds a new life for it through individuals and groups in the community.  Its one hundred schemes span the United Kingdom – from the Isle of Wight to the Scottish Highlands – with each member aligned to a common goal of promoting 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 (making up 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.

Recently featured in the BBC, The Guardian and the Daily Mirror, Community RePaint’s impact continues to grow year-on-year. In 2024, the network supported 44,500 people and 2,500 community groups, preventing more than 366,000 litres of paint from being wasted through landfill or incineration. On top this, Community RePaint members prevented almost 1 million kilos in CO₂e emissions, while buying Community Repaint paint saved consumers approximately £2.8m in savings (compared to typical retail pricing).

There is more to be done to turn the tide on paint waste, however. A recent study from Community RePaint funder Dulux highlights the need for increased education and awareness around paint waste. The survey revealed that 23% of British people do nothing with their leftover paint, and one in ten people are holding onto paint past its expiry date, rather than donating it at a local reuse point for redistribution or remanufacturing (both services that Community RePaint offers).

“Community RePaint is determined to find a solution for the 50 million litres of paint that goes 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 the Community RePaint network, that represents a whole lot of a little actions that add up to create a massive difference.”

You can find out more about the Community RePaint project here or at communityrepaint.org.uk.