Dulux Project Earth
CONSULT // DESIGN // DEVELOP // MANUFACTURE
From a Waste Source to a Resource.
When Dulux first approached us they had a serious waste problem. Over 42 tonnes of plastic were being generated by Dulux Trade every year from paint drums, pails and tear strips. Consider the significant impact of tear strips made from just 14 grams of plastic. In a single year, Dulux Trade alone produced a staggering 28 tonnes of plastic from tear strips. This amount is expected to rise even further, projected to reach 54 tonnes. Additionally, builders were spending over $247,000 per year to dispose of the valuable plastic packaging.
THE BRIEF
Our team immediately saw an opportunity to develop a circular economy, shifting the role of the plastic packaging from a nuisance waste problem to a valuable resource. However, there was a hurdle to jump before we could get started. The paint pails were contaminated to various different levels and we couldn’t recycle them without first cleaning them. This was something no other manufacturers, or recyclers, were able to do.
THE PROCESS
We designed and manufactured a variety of trade products to be sold in retail stores including 15L paint pails, paint tray rollers, paint stirrers and more. Our primary goal through our design process was to create products from the recycled materials which were stronger and higher quality than any other products made from virgin plastic currently available on the market. Through thorough prototyping and testing we successfully created our first paint tray which is so strong it can withstand the weight of a 4x4 Ram with no damage.
THE RESULTS
