The Royal Society of Chemistry has called for better paint recycling after a survey reveals Northern Ireland has almost 1.5 million litres stockpiled.

A survey by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has found that NI households are stockpiling enough paint to cover the footprint of the Giant’s Causeway over 22 times, which it says poses major sustainability and environmental issues.

The RSC’s survey revealed that 49% of households in Northern Ireland redecorated in the last year, with 38% of this group saying that Covid-19 measures provided an “excuse” to redecorate.

Despite the fact that paint spoils in a matter of months if stored incorrectly, 78% of Northern Irish adults are now storing unfinished tins of paint, 38% of which is more than three years old, the survey found.

The RSC says paint contains valuable polymers which are often made from fossil sources, but that 98% of the UK’s waste paint is either burnt or sent to landfill.

RSC president Professor Tom Welton said: “We have found that most households have tins of paint languishing in cupboards, sheds and garages – and that while consumers want to be able to recycle, they face a postcode lottery, making it unnecessarily difficult to do the right thing.

“All this paint contains huge quantities of valuable polymers in liquid formulations to help it stick to your walls. It’s unsustainable to waste such a commodity, and we’re risking environmental damage through not reusing and recycling, so we’re urging consumers to write to their MPs to help highlight this issue.”

Industry giants are supporting the drive to make paint more sustainable, he said, but more government support is needed to improve recycling levels.

For more information, see: www.communityrepaint.org.uk/need-paint/find-your-nearest-scheme

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