Dispose of old paint responsibly with Paintback

Photograph resource: Paintback

We all love what a fresh coat of paint can do. But once you're done, and have a random collection of leftover paint, what's the safest way to dispose of it?

Research shows that while one in three Australians has old or leftover paint at home, more than half are unaware that there are organisations that can help them dispose of paint safely.

The last thing anyone wants to see is unwanted paint contaminating landfill and leeching into our waterways. Taubmans works with Paintback, the industry-led organisation to ensure that unwanted paint and containers are taken care of in the most responsible way possible.

Drop-off your old paint

Whether you're a DIYer or a trade painter, all you need to do to ensure your paint is taken care of in the most responsible way possible is to bring it to a Paintback drop-off point. For your part, that's the job done.

Paintback collection network has grown to 169 sites, and partnerships with State-based stakeholders also support 58 pop-up collection events during 2023. That means 87.5% of Australians had a permanent site or temporary collection event nearby. You can leave up to 100 litres of unwanted paint in containers of up to 20 litres at any one time.

Paintback re-purposes, where possible

Collecting your paint leftovers from their drop-off points is done on a regular basis by Paintback. They then separate the containers and paint.

Wherever possible, subject to contamination risks, the containers are recycled. Paint is reused in other ways. Solvent paints, for example, can be re-used as an alternative energy source. With acrylic paint, the water is separated out to become a by-product that has a number of industrial uses. You'll find more information about how the Paintback process works, and their ongoing research and development into new ways to responsibly dispose of or divert unwanted paint and containers on their website.

Promote Responsible Disposal

At Taubmans, our commitment to protecting and beautifying the world extends to promoting responsible paint disposal. By integrating the Paintback message across a range of our products, we actively encourage both DIY enthusiasts and trade professionals to participate in sustainable practices.

Since 2016, Paintback has collected and treated over 56,000,000 kilograms of unwanted paint and containers. The organisation’s ultimate goal is to improve this current resource recovery to 100% diversion from landfill.

As one of the founding members and participating companies of Paintback, Taubmans is proud to support this initiative to ensure unwanted paints and containers are responsibly managed.