Bunnings brings waste paint recycling to local communities

_{During the year, 20 Bunnings stores across Australia hosted one-day, drop-off events in the store carpark, giving local residents the opportunity to bring in unwanted paint and paint packaging.}

Over the past decade, Bunnings has been actively involved in a number of initiatives that support the responsible disposal of waste paint.

This includes playing a significant part in Sustainability Victoria’s paint recycling program in 2007, and actively participating in the National Waste Paint Implementation Working Group since its formation in 2013 until the Paintback scheme was launched in May 2016.

During the year, Bunnings continued to support paint stewardship by collaborating with Paintback, an initiative designed to divert unwanted paint and paint packaging from ending up in landfill and vital waterways.

This support saw 20 Bunnings stores across Australia host one-day, drop-off events in the store carpark, giving local residents the opportunity to bring in unwanted paint and paint packaging.

Through these events, over 170,800 kilograms of paint and packaging were collected, with the packaging then recycled and the waste paint treated in a number of ways including energy recovery for solvent and liquid/solid separation for water-based paint.

Bunnings will continue to support Paintback events in the coming financial year.