A simple google search of ‘paint recycling centres near me’ shows just how woeful the situation is in being able to find a suitable facility to take unused paint to and might be the reason why up to 75% of UK households are hoarding masses of paint.
With lack of recycling services coupled with advice directly from councils to let paint harden, or to add soil and cat litter to the liquid to make it suitable for landfill, the issue of waste is becoming a big problem. Consumers are left with mixed messaging on exactly what to do with leftover paint so simply end up keeping it ‘just in case’ or taking it to be incinerated or landfilled.
The problem with this, is that it is not only wasteful of the end product (as typically most paint spoils if stored incorrectly within a matter of months when it could be given away and used) but it is also hugely wasteful on non-renewable resources.
According to the RSC for every litre of water and solvent-based paint stashed away there is an estimated 500ml of valuable polymers going to waste. Their report on ‘Polymers in Liquid Formulations: Opportunities for a Sustainable Future’ show that enough polymers in liquid formulations are used each year to fill Wembley stadium 32 times – and the paint market is by far the largest by volume for this.
So, what is the correlation between wasted paint and polymers? Understanding the manufacturing process behind these materials is key in becoming more aware the impact of paint stashing and waste has.
What are polymers and why are they in paint?
Polymer is a general term for long, repeating chains of molecules and depending on the bond, and how they’re bonded, vary in terms of function. Some polymers offer elasticity so can bend and stretch whereas others are hard and rigid.
In paint, we refer to polymers as ‘Polymers in Liquid Form’ or PLF for short. PLFs are used as thickeners, emulsifiers and binders and mainly used in paints and coatings to help them adhere to walls.
Polymers in liquid formulations are made from a variety of raw materials including natural, bio-based and fossil-derived monomers. Synthetic PLFs are also available however in some markets natural, bio-based material is growing in use.
More than 36.3 millions metric tonnes of PLFs are used every year which is enough to fill 14,500 Olympic sized swimming pools and despite their importance and impact on society and the global economy there has been very little effort to highlight the sustainability of these products.
Therefore, the Royal Society of Chemistry has stepped in and convened an industry task force to plan how to make PLFs more sustainable. They are calling for three simple action points from UK and local governments to help achieve the goal of a circular economy. These are:
- Provide more support to paint recycling initiatives to reduce wastage of reusable paints
- Make it easier for consumers to recycle paints no matter where they live
- Directly invest in research programmes for sustainable alternatives for PLFs
For more information on their work and to gain access to resources to help spread the word of the campaign head over to the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
Additionally, PaintCare – led by the British Coatings Federation offers a huge range of resources of how to buy, store, re-use and recycle paint responsibly. Their aim to create a national scheme for leftover decorative paint in the UK, where it can be reused or remanufactured instead of landfilled is backed by a wide range of brands and bodies including paint manufacturers, retailers, trade associations and waste management companies. For more information visit their website here.
By raising awareness of this issue, and working together, we can create a positive, sustainable change for these products.
