The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out the aim of leaving our environment in a better state than we inherited it and I welcome the Royal Society of Chemistry’s work on the issue of waste paint.
The new Waste Prevention Programme proposes action by Government and industry across seven key sectors – construction; textiles; furniture; electrical and electronics products; road vehicles; packaging, plastics and single-use items; and food – to minimise waste and work towards a more resource efficient economy. This includes steps to design and manufacture products for optimum life and repair and reuse more items. The draft Programme includes a chapter on ensuring we have well-functioning local systems and services to facilitate reuse, repair and remanufacture – for example, via the operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres to enable reuse, or piloting circular economy hubs.
Further, the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990 places a duty on Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) to provide places, usually Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC), where residents in their area can deposit their household waste.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme’s guidance for HWRCs, published in November 2018, states that, in order to promote responsible behaviour by local residents, local authorities should not charge residents for depositing waste from small scale DIY activities.
Voluntary action is also being taken by industry, alongside community initiatives, to reduce waste paint. Community RePaint schemes collect and redistribute paint, preventing it from going to waste. You can find out more about donating paint to Community RePaint schemes here: https://communityrepaint.org.uk/