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The British Coatings Federation has urged the Government to support its PaintCare initiative, launched this month. PaintCare UK is the UK’s first voluntary, industry‑led takeback scheme for leftover decorative paint and packaging, delivered by the BCF on behalf of paint manufacturers in partnership with participating retail and trade outlets.
The call was made at the BCF’s Parliamentary Reception in the House of Commons Terrace Pavillion on Tuesday 24th March.
The event, hosted by Adam Jogee MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, was attended by Industry Minister, Chris McDonald MP; Minister for Waste and Recycling, Mary Creagh MP; along with more than 20 other MPs and Peers.
Tom Bowtell, BCF CEO focussed on the key policy challenges facing the coatings sector, including: rocketing energy and raw material prices; rising employment costs; the need for support for the green energy transition; a long-term focus on skills and training, especially STEM subjects and relevant apprenticeships; and for the Modern Industrial Strategy to recognise the importance of supply chains. He also updated guests on the regional trial of PaintCare UK, discussing some regulatory challenges that must be addressed to achieve a nationwide rollout, and called on the government to find a less cumbersome and costly solution for UK REACH that accepts registrations in the EU as valid in the UK, as part of a wider move towards a Swiss Model approach.
He said: “I am really pleased with the turnout for the reception, with more than 20 MPs coming to hear more about our sector and to speak with our members and other stakeholders. It was a good opportunity to put firmly on record the concerns our sector still has with UK REACH and to urge the government, even at a very late hour, to rethink its proposals, which currently look as though they will still add significant burdens onto industry. I was also particularly pleased to be able to talk to both Ministers McDonald and Creagh about the coatings sector’s ambitions for our PaintCare initiative. If we can get this right, it will be a major win for the sector and for government in creating a more circular economy.”
