Amcor has introduced an improved cleaning system within its closed-loop recycled paint container initiative, developed in partnership with Paint360, to enhance the recyclability and reuse of plastic paint packaging.
Launched in 2022, the initiative focuses on recovering post-use paint containers, removing residual paint, and reprocessing the plastic into new paint packaging. The system addresses a key barrier in rigid plastic packaging recycling, where leftover product contamination limits material recovery and reuse.
According to the British Coatings Federation (BCF), 98% of leftover paint is disposed of through landfill, incineration, or drainage systems. Residual paint within containers has also made it difficult to process packaging waste into high-quality recycled material suitable for reuse in new containers.
The newly developed cleaning system replaces conventional washing methods and is designed to improve the quality and consistency of recycled polymer streams used in packaging production. By reducing contamination, the process supports higher-value material recovery and enables greater incorporation of recycled content into new paint cans.
“Since we first launched this scheme, we have been on a learning curve, identifying what works well and where there are areas for improvement,” said Lee Cole, managing director and co-founder of Paint360. “This is particularly important to enable further scalability of our project and the introduction of additional schemes.”
The cleaned and shredded plastic is reprocessed at Amcor Circular Polymers’ facility in Leamington Spa, UK, before being used in the production of new paint containers at Amcor’s Oakham facility.
“This project is helping to achieve circularity for one of the hardest-to-recycle packs, turning waste paint and used containers into new paint and new packaging,” said Mark Roberts, Amcor’s director of materials innovation.
The initiative is supported by the BCF’s PaintCare programme, which aims to increase the reuse or remanufacture of leftover decorative paint to 75% by 2031.