MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE

Our sustainability ambitions

Our People. Planet. Paint. promise touches everything we do and was inspired by our desire to paint a brighter future for the industry, our customers and the world.

“People” refers to the way we’re helping to support and empower our local communities – read more here. For the “Planet”, we’re minimising the environmental impact of our operations; we are committed to cutting the carbon emissions of our entire supply chain in half by 2030. Currently, all of our sites in the UK and Ireland use 100% renewable electricity, and our production facility in Ashington is the world’s most sustainable factory, with half the carbon footprint of traditional factories.

And when it comes to “Paints”, we’re working hard to create pioneering solutions and bring you a wider choice of more sustainable paints and finishes. The goal is, of course, to make it easy for you to find more sustainable choices when you’re decorating, whether it’s opting for paints that last longer (as you’ll buy less paint less often) or lower-carbon paints that are less harmful to the environment.

What we’re doing to lower waste, re-use and recycle

Working towards a zero-waste decorating journey is a fundamental part of our strategy, and we’ve been exploring how our paints can be manufactured with re-used content. In 2019, we launched Dulux Trade Evolve Matt, made from 35% recycled paint content: we source paint destined for landfill or incineration, put it through a strict recycling process and re-engineer it into a new matt product with all the quality you would expect from the brand. Evolve Matt delivers a beautiful matt finish in White, along with excellent coverage and smooth application – and all with a lower carbon footprint than our standard Vinyl Matt.

For decades we have also been working to lessen the impact of our packaging by streamlining our designs to reduce material use and offer the right range of sizes to suit your projects. By 2025, we are planning to ensure that all of our plastic packaging formats contain at least 50% recycled content. These new dark grey packs are being rolled out across our most popular products, so you’ll soon be able to find the products you love, packaged with half the amount of virgin plastic.

How we can help you re-use and recycle

It can be too easy to over-estimate the amount of paint you’ll need at the start of a job. Before you stock up on paint for your client’s decorating project, visit our quick and easy Paint Calculator to figure out the amount of paint that’s required so you don’t buy more than you need – it’s a handy tool that will help you save money and help lower your environmental impact with every project.

And if you are left with excess paint from a job, get in touch with Community RePaint, one of our charity partners for over 30 years. This network of non-profit organisations collects local leftover paint and redistributes it for a very low cost to charities, community groups and those in social need. Visit their website to see how to find a drop-off point near you.

Recycling your empty tins

If you’re looking to recycle empty tins of paint, dry and empty metal packs are accepted at most local recycling points, though recycling services vary for plastic packs – check online to see the nearest recycling facility and their guidelines. Additionally, many decorative merchants, including our Dulux Decorator Centres also offer free can recycling services.

We’ve also been innovating with new packaging formats that offer reduced carbon impact such as Bulk Packaging, and in 2022 we trialled a takeback scheme for recycling our Dulux roller testers, with selected stores in key retailers.

Want to know more? Read about our approach to sustainable business here, explore our sustainable paint solutions for the home or see how we’re brightening communities with the power of colour.