Chemists in call for more paint recycling

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

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Editor