IT’S THE ultimate in recycling: a new scheme offers free paint that would otherwise have been sent to landfill.
The re3paint scheme aims to share full or partly used pots, with a view to them being used by charity and community groups.
Re3, which operates recycling centres in Reading and Bracknell on behalf of Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham borough councils, says that more than 100,000 litres of water-based paint – enough to cover 180 football pitches – are dropped off by residents every year.
And almost two-thirds of that is good enough to reuse.
To ensure health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, all tins of paint that are deemed for reuse will be sanitised before being made available to residents.
Cllr Dorothy Hayes, Bracknell Forest Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Chairman of the Joint Waste Disposal Board, Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Neighbourhoods & Communities and Cllr Parry Batth, Wokingham Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Leisure, said in a joint statement: “Redistributing tins of paint to individuals, families, communities and charities is a win-win for everyone.
“The re3paint initiative prevents paint from going to waste and can help individuals redecorate their homes or communities brighten up their shared spaces without spending money on paint. This could be particularly needed in response to the difficulties caused by the coronavirus crisis.
“We are hoping that this initiative will become popular, with tins of paint quickly disappearing from the recycling centres’ paint shelf.
“We are also looking forward to hearing about any projects that may benefit from the reclaimed paint so we can share with the wider community.”
Residents, charities, schools and other groups operating locally, who are interested in using reclaimed water-based paint, can collect free tins of paint from both recycling centres.
