Treo and Renew aim to aid Waterford circular economy through paint initiative

Community-based organisation Treo and its partner company Renew Enterprises are trying to court consumers into picking the more eco-friendly and cost-effective option through a new recycled paint initiative.

Renew Enterprises is now producing recycled paint at a cost of €2.50 a litre for interior use and €3.50 for masonry use, comfortably below market rates.

The paint is collected through local civic amenity sites that are designed to facilitate domestic waste.

Staff at Renew inspect, sieve, and remix the paint to produce interior and exterior paints in a range of colours. No chemicals or fillers are added.

Without the intervention, waste paint would be shipped to Germany for incineration - there is no appropriate disposal facility in Ireland. 

According to the EPA, almost 382,000 tonnes of residual waste, including paint, is sent for incineration abroad each year

Renew has promoted their new initiative as a way to cut down on carbon emissions, minimise landfill waste and help consumers in a cost-of-living crisis.

“[People] need to bring their paint to the civic amenity centre and pay for its disposal…we take that paint, bring it down to here, we keep all the brands separate and we recycle that paint for use,” says manager at Renew Enterprises, Ray Power.

“We keep (each brand) together when we mix them to ensure they’re a good quality mix and a high quality paint…whatever colour somebody wants we can make it up.”

Ray said that it’s initially proved difficult to get people to flock to the cheaper alternative.

“I suppose we need a bit more advertising, but when people use the paint, they love it, they find it fantastic, they get it at a very reasonable price and a good quality.

“This is a sustainable option for recycling and reusing paint. It’s kind of a win-win. You get the colour you want, you get it at a reasonable price, and it’s a sustainable option for everyone.”

Renew Enterprises sells the paint in their Johnstown branch.

An arm of Treo, Renew is a social enterprise. All of their staff and volunteers have come through the parole system and work within the branch to establish routine and help re-integrate into wider society.

Along with the recycled paint initiative, Renew also repairs and sells second-hand bikes, rents e-bikes for the city, and creates and repairs a variety of woodwork products.