Recycled Paint Can Brings “Newlife” To B&Q Home ECO
Tags: RPC Oakham
A new paint, manufactured entirely from waste emulsion, is being trialled by B&Q in a plastic pail from RPC Containers Oakham that incorporates 25% post-industrial content.
As the UK’s biggest seller of paints for the retail market, B&Q takes a significant interest in the issue of waste from paint. In a major statement of commitment to long-term sustainability, the company is working with innovative supplier Newlife Paints. This eco-friendly company collects paint destined for landfill, separates it into colour batches and reconditions it into useable recycled paints.
Newlife is supplying B&Q with a white emulsion paint to be trialled under the retailer’s Home Eco brand, a label that runs across several product types to give consumers a ‘greener’ alternative.
B&Q wanted packaging that would reflect the sustainable nature of the paint itself by incorporating recycled content, and turned to RPC Oakham, a specialist in the manufacture of paint containers. “We wanted a UK supplier in order to avoid superfluous transportation and therefore to minimise the carbon footprint of the Home Eco paints, and RPC has the best reputation in the UK for incorporating recycled plastic into its containers,” explains Sarah Greenaway of B&Q.
The technically challenging brief involved close co-operation with UK suppliers of recycled plastics to ensure a high-grade polymer capable of withstanding the weight of paint. Tests confirmed that the optimum proportion of post-industrial polymer was 25% in order to maintain the highest standard of consumer functionality and convenience.
The injection moulded PP pail is available in a 5 litre size, and labelled with B&Q’s distinctive green Home Eco livery.
The new paints are being trialled in four branches, in special in-store ‘eco shops,’ with further roll-out anticipated as the project develops.
RPC Containers Ltd, Schofield Road, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6RW, United Kingdom; Tel: +44 (0) 1572 723771 – Fax: +44 (0) 1572 770472; E-Mail: sales@rpc-oakham.co.uk – Web: www.rpc-oakham.co.uk
I like the sound of this paint. There is so much to eco products that most never think about. Lifecycle is not just cradle to grave any more. The “Cradle to Cradle” concept is not widely thought about in the package design segment of the life cycle. For instance there is a green packaging solution for mailing envelopes that have a Plastic Bubble Liner that is not laminated together with the paper thus can be recycled separately. My point is that being mindful in packaging design can connect the dots of sustainability prior to production.