Paint reuse scheme flourishes
An evaluation of a paint reuse project in the UK has wielded favourable conclusions.
Community RePaint, a UK-wide paint reuse network, helped to make Britain a brighter place in 2010 by supporting over 12,000 organisations and individuals in transforming their surroundings.
The project re-distributed more than 215,000 litres of useable leftover paint to a range of groups and schemes, including a project created to makeover the children's ward at Newham Unversity Hospital in London, which was undertaken by young people taking part in the Prince's Trust Team Programme.
Team Leader Ben Adefisan said: ''As part of the programme the team choose a project that will have a long lasting benefit for the community and then set about raising funds to make it possible. By using paint from our local Community RePaint scheme we were able to create a bright and welcoming environment for the children on the Rainbow Ward and still have money for the other materials that we couldn't otherwise afford.''
Community RePaint has been sponsored by paint manufacturer Dulux since 1993, and has also helped to makeover the lives of individuals. Community RePaint’s Manager Martin Pearse cites the case of one man, Andy, who has felt the benefits of the scheme. ''Andy is a 41 year-old man suffering from mental health problems, who, for a number of reasons, no longer felt safe in his home, but could not afford to move,'' he said. ''We were able to help him to re-decorate his flat and improve his living conditions by supplying paint that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.''
Community RePaint's 2010 achievements include: collecting 316,641 litres of paint; redistributing 215,848 litres of paint; saving 561 tonnes of CO2 (the equivalent of taking 190 cars off Britain's roads); and providing 244 volunteer and training opportunities.
There are an estimated 50 million litres of paint lying around in sheds and garages in the UK, and much of this ends up in landfill. This can create potentially dangerous environmental consequences, as it can leach into the ground and waterways.
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