The Community RePaint Nottinghamshire Scheme
What to do with unwanted Paint
Tins of liquid paint should never be put in your bin at home, unless they are empty or contain only solid dried-up paint residue. When tins of paint from a wheelie bin are emptied into and crushed in the back of a rubbish truck, the paint can spill onto the street and cause problems. Never pour paint down your sinks and drains as it may pollute our water courses.
A much better idea is to donate unwanted paint to our Community Repaint Nottinghamshire scheme located at 4 of the county’s Recycling Centres. The scheme collects reusable, leftover paint and gives it for free to individuals, community groups, charities and schools. Community groups may use the paint to refurbish rooms or buildings used by their members. Housing associations may redistribute the paint to their tenants. It may be used by other groups for craft activities, for training or may even be used for stage sets by community theatre groups.
Which Recycling Centres accept tins containing liquid paint?
At all 4 sites there are containers for you to drop off your donated tins of paint or you can hand them to a member of staff. Trained site staff will sort through each tin of paint to check whether it can be put into the reuse scheme.
Tins of paint suitable for reuse are labelled and displayed on shelves in the Community RePaint Nottinghamshire container according to colour and type.
Tins of paint that cannot be reused, will not be put into the reuse scheme but will be sent for specialist treatment. The metal or plastic containers will also be recycled where possible.
Read more about the Community RePaint Scheme on the Community RePaint website: www.communityrepaint.org.uk
Types of Paint suitable for Reuse
The following types of paint are suitable for reuse:
- Matt and silk emulsion
- Gloss paint – interior and exterior
- Eggshell and satin paint
- Kitchen or bathroom paint
- Undercoat - water or oil based
- Primer
- Masonry paint
- Varnish - water or oil based
- Wood stain
- Tile paint
- Floor paint
However, some paints cannot be reused in the scheme but can still be taken to the 4 Recycling Centres:
- Paint not in its original container
- Paint tins with a hazardous symbol
- Any paint containing lead
- Paint thinners e.g. white spirit
- Paint stripper or brush cleaners
- Wood preservative
How can I or my group collect some free paint?
If you would like some free reusable paint, you need to book an appointment slot using the tab below. There are slots available for Nottinghamshire residents collecting paint for their own use (Public) and a separate one if you are collecting paint on behalf of a community group (Charity).
Any tins donated to the scheme that are at least half full of reusable paint are stored separately in the shelved reuse container on site. We can’t guarantee what colours, types or quantities of paint will be available, but there's usually a good range to choose from.
A member of site staff will accompany you to the paint shed and pick your paint for you based on your requests.
As usual when visiting a Recycling Centre please wear sturdy, closed toe footwear. It’s a good idea to bring bags or boxes to protect your vehicle when transporting the paint home or to your group’s premises.
If you need to take your children and pets with you to the Recycling Centre, they must remain in the vehicle.
If you have a query about booking a collection slot or about a slot that you have already booked please contact us at [email protected]
