As a painter or decorator, your carbon footprint won’t be as huge as - say - someone who flies from country to country in a private jet. But we all have an impact on the environment, no matter how small, and all those small impacts add up.

So let’s look at what you can do to reduce yours.

The carbon footprint of the average painter/decorator

Let’s look at Tom. He’s a professional painter, and today he’ll be heading to a local customer to paint their living room. It’s not a massive job, so surely he won’t be belching out carbon like there’s no tomorrow?

Turns out, he’s having a bigger impact than he thinks. Because all of these things have an environmental impact:

● Vehicle emissions
● Paint
● Plastic accessories
● Paper accessories
● Other accessories

Now Tom’s very keen on helping the environment, which is why his customers chose him over the competitor. Today he’s sharing van space with an electrician who’s working on a job round the corner to cut his vehicle emissions, and he’s helped his customer choose sustainable paints for this job.

But the challenge is his accessories. Tom’s lost count of how many roller trays and buckets he’s had to throw away over the years, how many paper rolls he’s used, and how many cotton rags he’s been through. All of these things have an impact when they’re made, when they’re transported and when they’re disposed of.

But there’s something you - and Tom - can do to reduce that impact.

Choose sustainable accessories

Dulux Decorator Centre has a range of accessories made from recycled materials - and materials that can be recycled again - to reduce the environmental impact of every job you carry out.

Choosing recycled materials means a lower impact when they’re made, and recyclable materials lower the impact when they’re disposed of.

The Dulux range of sustainable accessories includes:

● Non-branded Flexitubs made from recycled plastics (recycle after use)
● Non-branded 3 gallon buckets made from recycled plastics (recycle after use)
● Dulux Decorator Centre refuse sacks made entirely from 100% recycled material
● Recycled plastic All-Purpose Scuttles, in 7L, 15L and 25L
● Recycled plastic 4” and 9” Dulux Decorator Centre All-Purpose Roller Trays

Now buying a different type of bucket might not seem like it’ll save the world, but when you sit back and think about how many of these buckets and roller trays you’ve thrown into the bin over the years, you’ll see just how much of a difference switching to sustainable accessories can make.

Instead of useful material going to landfill, it’ll be re-used time and time again, lowering the emissions generated by your work, and helping you do your part to help the environment.