The stunning figure is part of a record-breaking 28 million kg of paint safely disposed of since national paint recovery scheme Paintback started five years ago.
The successful scheme, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, receives unwanted paint and paint packaging across its 155 permanent Australian collection sites, including at the Shepparton Resource Recovery Centre on Wanganui Rd.
Greater Shepparton City Council waste education officer Chester Hart said waste bins were filled every six months or so, before a Paintback truck picked up the discarded paint containers for transport to Melbourne to be recycled for other uses.
“It's a really good scheme - it really helps to keep harmful chemicals out of the environment, and provides a place for them to be recycled so they don't end up back in landfill,” Mr Hart said.
Mr Hart said the scheme was a great example of a circular economy where the manufacturer funds the collection and disposal of its own product.
He encouraged people to drop off their unwanted paint free of charge in a sealed container at the resource centre for later pick-up. Mr Hart said resource recovery centres at Ardmona and Murchison would also accept discarded paint.
Paintback chief executive Karen Gomez praised residents who had done the right thing by dropping off their waste paint.
“Shepparton residents have been a vital part of this success story through operating and maintaining Paintback collection points,” Ms Gomez said.
She said currently, unwanted paint was converted into an alternative fuel source replacing coal, or its water was extracted and used by other industries, reducing the need to use water mains.
However, she said Paintback was also funding Australian research into how it could improve the recovery of paint and pails and create new markets for Australia's unwanted paint.
Paintback research shows that while 36 per cent of Australians have paint stored away, more than half - 54 per cent - didn’t know there were organisations to help them dispose of it.
