AkzoNobel unveils new paint remanufacturing centre

The world's largest paint and coatings manufacturer has unveiled an innovative not-for-profit paint remanufacturing facility in North West England, as part of the company's ambition to produce 100,000 litres of remanufactured paint by the end of 2017.


The Wirral centre is the second facility established by AkzoNobel in its partnership with Community RePaint, which aims to slash the amount paint going to landfill by providing low-cost, high-quality quality recycled paint to good causes.

The launch comes a year after AkzoNobel established the inaugral remanufacturing hub in Cambridge, which has since produced around 10,000 litres of recycled paint and distributed to more than 1,3000 community groups and individuals.

Waste paint solution

AkzoNobel UK and Ireland managing director Matt Pullen said: “British households throw away 55 million litres of paint every year, but over half of this paint is good enough to reuse. This innovative scheme is leading our industry in reducing the amount of paint currently entering the waste stream, as well as having a transformative impact, alongside Community RePaint, by colouring the lives of those who can least afford it.”

The remanufacturing technology is the result of years of collaboration between AkzoNobel, Newlife Paints and Community RePaint, which have been looking to roll out more remanufacturing centres across the country.

The launch arrives on the first anniversary of AkzoNobel’s “ReColour” report, which called on Government and industry to get behind the initiative and unite to solve the UK’s waste paint problem. With around 55 million litres of waste paint reportedly going to landfill each year, AkzoNobel’s ambition is to increase the amount of waste paint collected for reuse in the UK ten-fold – to three million litres – by 2020.

Colourful ambition

At that time, AkzoNobel’s global sustainability manager also told edie the company wanted to ignite an industry-wide push to move away from solvent-based paints towards more environmentally-friendly water-based paints.

This latest initiative from AkzoNobel highlights the company’s commitment to lead the paint industry in its drive to reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Earlier this month, AkzoNobel launched a new biocide-free coating offering fuel and carbon savings for ships, just weeks after the company was accused of forming part of the “worst catastrophe to hit the marine environment”.

The firm has also issued more than 126,000 carbon credits – worth more than $500,000 – to 16 ships in a move that has reduced the emissions of each vessel by 4,000 tonnes annually.

George Ogleby

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