North London Waste Authority (NLWA) was thrilled to attend the unveiling of some beautiful new artworks in Enfield on Wednesday – a joint project between the Authority and Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC).
The gorgeous wall murals, decorating several spaces in the centre, were created by local artists and feature reclaimed paint sourced by NLWA from the Forest Recycling Project in Walthamstow. Reclaimed paint is leftover and unused paint that north London residents have left at reuse and recycling centres or donated to the Community RePaint Scheme. By using reclaimed paint in such stunning artwork, the artists and the team at Dugdale have shown the hidden value in a material so many of us unthinkingly throw away.
The four artists – Alec Saunders, Leanne Ingram, Chikaora Obiora and Laura McKendry – all took inspiration from the local community and those attending the launch event on Wednesday spoke about how exciting it was to work in such a vibrant community space. They shared these reflections during a Q&A session, where councillors and local residents were excited to join the artists for a first glimpse of the paintings. Everyone agreed the beautiful designs were not only stunning to look at but a great reflection of Enfield’s diversity and commitment to sustainability.
Also attending the event were Enfield’s Councillor for Climate Action and Placemaking Sabri Ozaydin, and NLWA Enfield members Councillor Elif Erbil and Councillor Sinan Boztas.
The joint project marks part of NLWA’s efforts to enable north London residents to opt for reused or second-hand alternatives to buying new. NLWA Chair Councillor Clyde Loakes commented that: “Seeing discarded paint used in such beautiful artworks shows that you only need a little bit of creativity to make second-hand items look brand new.”
Over 50 million litres of paint goes to waste each year in the UK, much of which could be avoided through reuse. Many north London residents are unaware that they can pick up reclaimed paint for free at most reuse and recycling centres, or heavily discounted at the Forest Recycling Project in Walthamstow.
For more information on how to donate and pick up reclaimed paint, north London residents can visit the NLWA webpage on paint reuse.
