Thank you for writing to me regarding the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) campaign to tackle the UK's paint recycling problem.
My colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives are keenly aware of the dangers that paint being burnt or disposed of in landfills can have on people’s health and the environment, and note that for every litre of water-based and solvent-based paint stashed away, an estimated 500ml of valuable polymers is going to waste.
I am therefore deeply concerned about the lack of paint disposal facilities in parts of Wales, an issue that must be addressed.
It is therefore vital that the Welsh Government takes this matter seriously. It is important that all local authorities in Wales provide facilities where paint can be reused, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly and safe way.
I note the UK Conservative Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out the aim of leaving our environment in a better state than we inherited it, and I further welcome the Royal Society of Chemistry’s work on the issue of waste paint.
I also note that the new Waste Prevention Programme in England proposes action by the UK Conservative Government and industry across seven key sectors – construction; textiles; furniture; electrical and electronics products; road vehicles; packaging, plastics and single-use items; and food – to minimise waste and work towards a more resource efficient economy. This includes steps to design and manufacture products for optimum life and repair and reuse more items. The draft Programme includes a chapter on ensuring we have well-functioning local systems and services to facilitate reuse, repair and remanufacture - for example, via the operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres to enable reuse, or piloting circular economy hubs.
It is concerning that the Labour Welsh Government’s recycling strategy contains very little reference to paint recycling, especially as it announced a climate emergency three years ago. My colleague, the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, will raise this point with the Minister.
Finally, I welcome the voluntary action being taken by industry, alongside community initiatives, to reduce waste paint, with Community RePaint schemes collecting and redistributing paint, preventing it from going to waste: https://communityrepaint.org.uk/
My colleagues and I will continue to hold the Welsh Government to account and ensure that recycling and environmental issues remain at the forefront of decision making here in Wales.