Save Waste and Prosper (SWAP), which coordinates the network, last week published the results of a 2002-03 survey of community paint reuse schemes.
On average it said each scheme successfully re-used of 2,500 litres of paint last year, a 22% increase from 2002. Paint worth 430,000 was redistributed to over 4,400 community groups, charities and voluntary organisations.
Ashley Robb, environmental consultant at SWAP, said: “These are excellent results which clearly illustrate the success of the national network of schemes and the important social and environmental role that schemes across the country play.”
Twenty-six new schemes are under development, looking to join the 54 current members of the Community RePaint network. SWAP is looking to have a total of 85 operational schemes by the end of its current funding phase in 2005.
Funding
But, Mark Gregory, the coordinator of Community RePaint, told letsrecycle.com that the withdrawal of support from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme has hit many of the community groups operating a RePaint project. It is now hoped the National Lottery's Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme will provide a promising avenue for funding.
“The LTCS was a major force of funding and quite a few community groups are now looking to CRED funding,” he said. “But financial difficulties have been reported every year for the past few years. It is an ongoing thing and we are looking at addressing the problem.”
Other possibilities for funding measures mentioned in the report included membership charges for referrals and charging local authorities and waste management companies for providing a paint collection service at CA sites.
Mr Gregory said: “We are looking at a paid-for commercial collection service from retailers that would be considerably less than their waste management bill. We are trying to move towards financial sustainability.”
Despite the problems with funding, most of the schemes said they are looking to expand their operations in the coming year.
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