All Waste Matters - Recycled Paint

2nd January 2022

Second-Hand Paint in East London

Eliminating avoidable waste by 2050 is a vital target of the Government’s environmental plan. Yet, paint is often low down on the agenda, despite claims by the paint reuse network that over 50 million litres of reusable paint are wasted every year. That equates to roughly 40 litres of paint wasted in UK homes every 60 seconds.

Forest Recycling Project – East London

Forest Recycling Project collects over 34,000 litres of paint a year. Collecting from seven HWRCs across five local authority areas in East London, one of the most exciting things about the scheme is where the paint ends up. Last year just under 30,000 litres of their paint was distributed into the community. As well as helping local people transform their homes and community buildings, local street artists are provided with paint for urban regeneration, colouring the lives of the local community and truly putting the area on the map.

The scheme will take any reusable paint back to its premises, checked and processed, ready to be reused. Householders can drop off and collect paint from a container at the HWRC, managed by the site staff.

Will you play your part?

We all know that buying second-hand helps reduce the manufacturing of new goods, which in turn stems the impact on the environment through the use of water, chemicals and excess waste.
 
By reducing the number of throw-away things we buy, the reduction of garments ending up in landfills prevents the constant strain we see on our oceans and soils. Selling items second hand rather than throwing them in the bin means we’re stopping the endless buying cycle that has become the ‘norm’ and replacing it with a more sustainable shopping option.

So next time you need paint to decorate your house or do some artwork, here is where to get your recycled paint in East London. 

The Paint Place - Forest Recycling Project

Forest Recycling Project main operational area is reclaiming, repurposing and affordably reselling waste material that would otherwise fill and pollute local landfill sites. Reclaimed paint of all types – including emulsions, interior and exterior wood and metal, masonry paint and varnishes – is available in all colours and sizes.
They also provide free reclaimed paint to new housing association residents.

This helps new tenants save money on the cost of redecorating their homes whilst helping the environment. New tenants are issued a paint voucher by their housing officer, entitling them with up to 50 litres of free reclaimed paint, depending on the size of their property.

Tenants can then bring their voucher (along with their new tenancy agreement ) to their Paint Place shops and exchange it for paint. 

FRP has its shop at 2C Bakers Ave, London, E17 9AW, and a Warehouse at Unit 7, The Sidings, London, E11 1HD.

Find out more at https://frpuk.org/.