Paint it Green

Paint it Green presents a collaboration showcasing the positive benefits of reusing and reselling leftover paint

This project is a collaboration with Waltham Forest-based Forest Recycling Project, a social enterprise and charity whose mission is to promote a greener and more inclusive community by reclaiming, re-purposing and affordably re-selling waste materials.

 Whilst we all know about replacing single use plastics and the damaging effects of air travel on the environment, there’s much less public awareness of the harmful effects of paint manufacture and waste. Yet each year, 50m litres of paint goes to waste - enough to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. But reusing leftover paint has saved 1.4m kgs of Co2 emissions nationally. Paint it Green tackles this little known aspect of the climate emergency.

The photographs track the recycling and reuse journey of leftover paint from the point of donation at Council wast depots, through re-porcessing at FRP’s warehouse, to sale and reuse. Paint therefore becomes part of the circular economy rather than waste, where it will be incinerated causing harm to the environment.

Paint it Green has been the subject of a Solo Exhibition in East London and features in a local newspaper.