Gateway Road Reuse and Recycling Centre is now closed.
Each year in the UK we buy 320 million litres of paint, but a whopping 50 million litres of it goes to waste. That’s enough to fill 20 Olympic swimming pools! Often there’s nothing wrong with the paint, people simply have accidentally bought too much, or the wrong type for what they need. Every litre of new paint produced generates carbon emissions, so we’re on a mission to make sure not a single drop goes to waste! At our reuse and recycling centres (RRCs), we collect usable but unwanted paint (‘reclaimed’ paint) and work with partner organisations to redistribute it to the community. That includes you!
If you’ve got a project coming up that you need paint for – whether you’re getting creative with some art or just doing a DIY job at home – using reclaimed paint might be a great way to save on costs while looking after the environment.
Why use reclaimed paint?
The environment is a top priority for many of us these days, and we understand that we can all have a positive impact by choosing sustainable options when we buy. Paint is no different, and buying reclaimed paint instead of new is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and prevent waste.
It’s also a great way to save money. The cost of new paint can really rack up if you’re buying a few tins. Picking up reclaimed paint is completely free if you visit one of our reuse and recycling centres, or you can buy it at a significant discount from some of our partner organisations (see ‘where can I get reclaimed paint’ below). If you’re working on a smaller project and only need a small amount of paint, buying reclaimed also allows you to get what you need, instead of buying a whole new tin.
Where can I get reclaimed paint?
There a few easy ways to get reclaimed paint in north London.
Visit a reuse and recycling centre
North London residents are allowed to bring leftover paint to our reuse and recycling centres (all except Hornsey Street, Gateway Road and Barrowell Green). This paint is then available for anyone to take home. You can browse the paint stores at any of these RRCs and take anything you like for free.
Visit the Forest Recycling Project in Walthamstow
We work closely with the Forest Recycling Project in Walthamstow to help redistribute the paint we collect at RRCs. The FRP team come and pick paint up from us to take to their shop or warehouse. They quality-check the paint to make sure it is still usable, and then on-sell it at a fraction of the cost of new paint.
The FRP shop and warehouse have a really great range of reclaimed paint available, and the team can provide excellent advice on what you’ll need for your project. It’s a great place to stop by next time you need paint.
Check for other reclaimed paint locations on the Community RePaint Scheme website
We are part of the Community RePaint Scheme, a UK-wide initiative to collect and redistribute reclaimed paint. There are lots of other organisations that collect and redistribute reclaimed paint, and you can browse them by location on the Community RePaint website.
What can I do with my leftover paint?
If you have leftover paint that’s in good condition, you can take it to one of north London’s reuse and recycling centres (other than Hornsey Street, Gateway Road or Barrowell Green).
If the paint is too old to be reused, you might be able to take it to an RRC, but you may need to treat it as a hazardous waste item for collection. Read more about what to do on our web page on how to dispose of paint.