2c Levy to Address Paint Dumping

Added by Gary Dunn on March 10, 2011

In an initiative to improve waste collection, a two-cent levy will be charged per litre of paint sold throughout Australia to fund a Victoria trial that could pave the way for a national roll-out.

The paint industry has been given the go-ahead from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to run its own waste collection service in the state of Victoria.

The Australian Paint Manufacturers Federation will use the funds collected through the levy to increase the number of collection centres and to increase awareness of the issue of paint dumping.

Figures from 2007 show that only some 15 per cent of paint and paint cans is recycled, posing significant environmental implications.

Unused paints can be recycled and fuel cement kilns and metal tins can be reused. The paint federation has estimated that some 1.5 million kg of paint and paint tins can be saved in the first year.

The trial initiative, called Paint Care, will replace the Detox Your Home scheme currently operated by the Victorian government.

The Competition and Consumer Commission is seeking submissions on the scheme’s success to possibly extent it from June 2012.