Re-Manufactured Paint – What Is It?

Remanufactured paint is simply left-over paint that’s been cleaned up so it can be repackaged for re-use. Not only does this save old paint ending up in landfill, it also helps communities and those on low incomes to undertake redecoration projects at a much reduced cost.

How is Paint Remanufactured, or Recycled?

The process was originally developed by industrial chemist Keith Harrison who founded Newlife Paints after realizing his own collection of half-empty paint tins was a shocking waste. After 2 years of research he came up with a process of turning waste emulsion paint into a quality grade, reusable product.

Paint is collected and recycled under licence at two centres operated by Community RePaint in Cambridgeshire and The Wirral.

The paint is filtered, to remove any dried bits and other contaminants, then decanted into large barrels.

Each paint batch is checked and adjusted for opacity, pH levels, density and viscosity. Chemicals are also added to control micro-organisms in order to ensure longevity.

Finally, the paint is filtered for a second time and re-packaged ready for use.

Is Remanufactured Paint as Good as New?

No, it can’t be. However, cheap paint is better than no paint and for many projects you don’t really need the best quality products in order to transform a tired-looking space.

For the average user the difference between a tin of recycled paint and a tin of budget retail paint isn’t going to be that noticeable. Sure, the packaging is going to look cheaper and the choice of colours is limited but, otherwise, it’s good enough.

For a community group undertaking the redecoration of a large space the cost of paint would be prohibitive but with re-manufactured paint costing from just £1.50 a litre it becomes a real possibility. The only major problem with re-manufactured paint is that it isn’t widely known about.

Where to Buy Remanufactured Paint

The paint is widely available via the Community RePaint Scheme, a network established in 1993 to collect and re-distribute left-over paint to benefit charities, communities and individuals living on low incomes.

Individual users requiring small quantities can contact their nearest Community RePaint Scheme

Community groups and organisations can order large quantities (minimum 60 litres) of Re-Manufactured Paint from Re-Colour

Paints available include Matt, Silk and Chalk finishes in a selection of colours at less than 75% of regular retail paint. There is, of course, a transport cost but, overall, the savings can be significant.

Aside from Re-Colour there are a couple of other providers, one a locally based scheme for communities & individuals, the other a commercial operation processing and distributing re-cycled paint at scale…

Seagulls is a community enterprise based in Leeds set up with the aim of reducing waste and to provide training & employment opportunities for local people. They offer a simple click and collect service, offering a range of re-manufactured paints as well as a selection of low cost tools and equipment.

Paint360 is an organisation, based in the West Midlands. They collect bulk waste paint from the trade, local authorities and waste management companies then re-engineer it into a quality product that contains at least 50% re-cycled material.

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See Also
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