Our Ambition

Liquid paint has been banned from landfill for several years. However, in many parts of the country, it is still recommended to solidify and landfill perfectly good paint, which could be reused or remanufactured. PaintCare aims to create a national, sustainable solution for dealing with leftover decorative paint and paint packaging, maximising reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing so that valuable materials stay in a circular economy.

In October 2021, British Coatings Federation (BCF) Board members, on behalf of the coatings industry, pledged to increase the percentage of leftover decorative paint that is reused, recycled, or remanufactured from the historic level of around 2% to 75% by 2030. This commitment continues to guide our work today.

Our ambition is to:

  • Establish a voluntary, nationwide product stewardship scheme for leftover decorative paint
  • Prevent the landfilling of over 20 million litres of leftover decorative paint per year
  • Maximise the use of valuable raw materials and resources:
    • Increase the reuse and remanufacturing of leftover decorative paint from 2% to 75% by 2032
    • Develop new routes to recycle leftover paint into other supply chains that cannot be remanufactured
    • Supporting the search for new markets for remanufactured paint products in the UK market
  • Collaborate with government, manufacturers, retailers, waste operators, and local authorities to:
    • Remove legislative and practical barriers to reuse and recycling
    • Build a national collection network for consumers and trade, creating new employment opportunities
    • Promote the PaintCare scheme nationally to both the public and industry

The Future of PaintCare

As an industry, we are exploring the development of a national, voluntary, industry-led scheme. This model would generate the funding required to significantly transform how the UK manages leftover paint and support a thriving reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing network.

To find out more BCF’s environmental commitments for the coatings industry and our initiatives, go to our Net Zero Roadmap page here.