The British Coatings Federation’s (BCF) PaintCare initiative received parliamentary attention recently in a key debate in the House of Lords on the Circular Economy. This high-profile mention follows PaintCare’s successful launch in Parliament last November. The launch was opened by Rory Stewart OBE MP, Defra’s Minister for Waste and included the unveiling of the PaintCare Interim Report and Recommendations which calls on government to act by working with PaintCare to address challenges related to markets and regulations.

The BCF estimates that 55 million litres of leftover paint are generated each year in the UK, with nearly 98% of it ending up landfilled or incinerated at a high cost to local authorities. PaintCare, led by the BCF aims to unite government and industry in a national solution to make better use of paint all of us have in our sheds and garages., creating a circular model for leftover decorative paint in the UK at a lower cost to all involved.  It could lead to the creation of a new manufacturing sector and provide hundreds of jobs, and crucially help stop over 20 million litres of leftover paint go to landfill. 

In response to a debate on promoting the principles of the circular economy, in the House of Lords, Lord Gardiner of Kimble reiterated the Government’s support for the leftover paint scheme during the debate. He said that Government was working with PaintCare to address regulatory barriers to the initiative, and cited it as a good example of industry working with others to treat waste as a valuable resource, contributing to a more circular economy.

Tom Bowtell, Chief Executive of the BCF, said: “I’m thrilled that PaintCare is getting so much recognition amongst Parliamentarians, particularly in light of the EU’s focus on the Circular Economy. We are looking forward to working further with the Government to help stimulate a market for reused and remanufactured paint, bringing us closer to solving a major household waste issue at a lower cost and moving closer to creating a circular economy for leftover decorative paint”.