The Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) is set to further develop its landmark Paint Green scheme following an inaugural digital forum in which members of the initiative heard from circularity expert and CEO at Resource Futures, Sam Reeve.
Paint Green members including representatives of larger contractors, SMEs and sole traders attended the forum, which included a Q&A session and a discussion around ‘next steps’ for Paint Green.
Giving a presentation at the forum, Sam told Paint Green members ‘small changes can make a big difference’ and praised the work many members are already doing in the sustainability sphere.
He also outlined the spectrum of opportunities that painters and decorators have to embed small changes into their daily working practices that can help lower costs, reduce waste and drive down environmental impacts.
He said: “We know that there are significant amounts of paint that end up in landfill each year, and there are some small actions you can take that, when added up together, can have a significant impact.
“What you buy and how you dispose of things has a direct impact on the environment and you are embedding those impacts in your decision-making.
“Sharing the work that Paint Green members are doing is great, because it shows how they are already identifying and solving some of the problems within the sector.”
Each year around 50 million litres of decorative paint ends up in landfill, and PDA’s Paint Green members are among those taking decisive steps to reduce this figure year on year.
PDA Chief Executive, Neil Ogilvie also attended the forum. He said: “Sam Reeve offered some excellent insights and information on sustainability and how economic, social and environmental values can shape how we operate.
“The forum provided Paint Green members with an opportunity to hear from an expert, to ask questions and to also offer their own thoughts on how we can address some of the challenges in the sector and what the next steps should be for Paint Green.
“I’d like to personally thank Sam Reeve for giving up his time to speak at the forum and to thank the Paint Green members who took part for showing their dedication to the scheme.”
Details about Paint Green, including case studies on Paint Green members can be found at: https://paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk/member-resources/paint-green/
For more about the PDA or to find a PDA member, visit: Painting and Decorating Association (PDA)