A PaintCare recycling station inside a hardware store, designed for collecting leftover paint and empty cans. (Image credit: B&Q/Ian Tuttle Photography)

For too long, millions of liters of leftover paint have been left sitting unused in sheds and garages across the UK – primarily because, for the majority of the UK population, there has been no simple, accessible way to reuse or recycle it responsibly.

At the same time, consumer and trade demand for practical, effective sustainability solutions has never been higher. People want to do the right thing, but they need systems that make it easy. For the first time, leading UK paint manufacturers and retailers are coming together to trial a new, industry-led solution designed to fundamentally improve what happens to paint at the end of its life.

PaintCare UK, a voluntary, industry-funded take-back scheme run by the British Coatings Federation (BCF) on behalf of UK paint manufacturers, will be trialed in the West Midlands Combined Authority area from March 2026. The pilot will allow consumers and tradespeople to return leftover decorative paint and empty packaging to selected participating retailers, helping to unlock reuse and recycling at scale.

The PaintCare pilot brings together major paint brands – Dulux, Johnstone’s Paint, Crown Paints, Craig & Rose, Valspar and Little Greene – working in collaboration with retail partners including B&Q, Brewers Decorator Centres, Dulux Decorator Centres and Johnstone’s Decorating Centres. Together, they aim to test a practical, scalable model that could help transform the paint category towards a more circular, sustainable future.

The time-limited regional pilot will run for approximately three months and is designed to test and evaluate:

•             Consumer participation and convenience

•             In-store collection models

•             Logistics and treatment solutions

•             Opportunities for paint reuse and packaging recycling

PaintCare is working with waste and recycling partner Biffa to manage the safe collection, transport and treatment of returned paint and packaging. Around £0.5 million has been invested in the trial, underlining the paint industry’s commitment to delivering real, system-level change rather than incremental fixes.

Clear PaintCare return areas will be signposted in participating stores. Paint and empty packaging must be handed directly to a member of staff. Details of accepted paint types and conditions are available in store and at www.paintcare.org.uk.

Collections began in February with a phased introduction across participating stores through March 2026. PaintCare intends to use the lessons learned from the trial to inform a planned national rollout in mid-2027.

Independent modelling undertaken by sustainability consultancy Resource Futures indicates that, when fully operational, PaintCare has the potential to deliver significant environmental and social benefits. Based on current assumptions, the scheme is expected to reduce carbon emissions associated with the take-back and treatment of leftover paint by around 50% compared to current disposal routes, while also supporting job creation and volunteering opportunities across the reuse and recycling system. Further details on the methodology and assumptions will be shared as the scheme develops.

The trial represents an important step towards a long-term ambition to reuse or recycle 75% of leftover paint by 2032, compared with an estimated 2% today, and to significantly improve the recycling of paint packaging across the UK.

BCF and PaintCare will work closely with government and relevant agencies throughout the trial, sharing insights on what works well and where regulatory or practical barriers may need to be addressed to enable a viable national scheme.

(From left to right) Dr. Stephen Snaith, Director of PaintCare; Tom Bowtell, CEO of the BCF; Ben McClelland, Operations Manager of PaintCare. (Image credit: B&Q/Ian Tuttle Photography)

Commenting on the launch, Tom Bowtell, CEO of the British Coatings Federation, said:

“For too long, it has been too difficult for people to do the right thing with leftover paint. This trial marks a major step forward – not just for our industry, but for consumers and tradespeople who want simple, practical ways to reduce waste.

“What makes PaintCare particularly powerful is the level of collaboration across brands and retailers. By working together, we can test solutions at a scale that would not be possible individually and use real evidence from this trial to help shape a system that works nationally.”