City joins community repaint scheme

LISBURN City Council is taking part in a new recycling scheme, ‘Community Repaint’.

The aim of the Community RePaint scheme, funded by the Department of the Environment’s Rethink Waste programme, is to collect good quality, non-hazardous paints, varnishes and wood stains for reuse, therefore diverting them from landfill.

Councillor Andrew Ewing, Chairman of the Environmental Services Committee of Lisburn City Council explains: “Lisburn residents can now take any reusable paint, varnishes and wood stains to our new paint reuse containers at both our Civic Amenity Sites at The Cutts in Derriaghy and our newly redeveloped amenity site at Drumlough, Dromara Road, Hillsborough.

“This will help to reduce the Councils reprocessing costs and ensure that good quality paint does not go to waste but assists those in need. I would urge people to segregate their waste before they arrive on site to make the process easier,” said Councillor Ewing.

All re-usable paint will go to the East Belfast Mission’s Social Economy department who will use the paint in their furniture reuse scheme, for social housing and for direct sale through their restore shops. All monies generated will go back into their social and community projects.

The scheme can accept most unwanted paint products, although any paint containers marked with an orange hazardous symbol cannot be accepted.

Owen Lyttle from the Department of the Environment’s Rethink Waste team said: “Waste paint has traditionally been a problem and a costly waste stream for local councils to deal with. The Department is delighted to assist with the funding of this innovative Community RePaint scheme for Northern Ireland and ensure a more sustainable approach for unused paint.

“Most householders will have been confronted with the problem of what to do with perfectly good paint left after home decoration. Making the paint available for reuse through this scheme is good for the environment, good for the community and reduces costs to local councils.”

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