Key Metrics
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of carbon savings in 2024
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litres of recycled paint purchased in 2024
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of carbon saved in our Speke Parklands contract in 2025
Traditional paint use creates high levels of waste and carbon emissions. It is estimated that around 55 million litres of leftover paint and containers are generated in the UK every year, with much of it destined for landfill or incineration. At Amey we have been doing things differently.
For the last seven years we have been working with Paint360, a Dudley-based social enterprise to enhance sustainability, support social value, and deliver innovation across our built-environment contracts.
Our partnership sees used paint and plastic cans collected, recycled and reused. Now for every 1,000 litres of recycled paint we use, we save 1,917kgs of CO₂e, the equivalent of driving a van for around 6,410 miles.
- Our partnership with Paint 360 is reducing the environmental impact of our operational activities across our justice and school contracts, combining recycling with social mobility and inclusive recruitment
- We saved 29,396kg of carbon in 2024, with more than 45,000 litres of paint purchased from Paint 360 used across our justice contract
- More than 650 used plastic paint cans were recycled across the justice estate in 2024, delivering an embodied carbon saving of 337kg
- Paint and cans recycled from our Speke schools contract saved 129kg of carbon, diverting 63 litres of waste paint and 95 plastic cans from landfill
- Paint360 creates opportunities and apprenticeships for people facing barriers to work, including prison leavers and the long-term unemployed
- This collaboration demonstrates how supply chain partnerships can drive real sustainability and social value
Innovation that delivers with impact
We deliver services across large and varied estates. Painting and decorating are a constant requirement, but traditional paint products have a high carbon impact and significant levels of waste.
At the same time, there is a recognised need to create employment and training pathways for prison leavers, the long-term unemployed, and those not in employment, education or training. Our goal was to find a partner capable of addressing both challenges by reducing environmental impact while generating tangible social value.
Paint360 fits this vision by supplying environmentally friendly, recycled paint. This social enterprise, based in the Black Country, collects, recycles, and re-engineers waste paint and plastic paint cans, while also providing employment and apprenticeship opportunities.
We have closed the loop of use, recycling, and reuse
Embracing the benefits on our schools’ contracts
Paint previously collected across Speke Parklands school complex – from refurbishment, maintenance, and repair – was disposed of in a one-way waste method, meaning no waste product was salvaged.
Now the teams responsible for the asset management of the two-school, 165-place complex in Liverpool have been able to divert 63 litres of waste paint and 95 plastic cans from landfill. Both will now be recycled and redesigned into new product, supporting a circular and environmentally responsible solution.
Following the success of the paint recycling initiative, Amey’s Speke Parklands team has taken the partnership one step further. Paint360 will now supply its recycled product for the redecoration of the site’s FM suite.
Through this collaborative approach, Amey and Paint360 have not only contributed to paint recycling efforts but also integrated the recycled products back into our school operations, closing the loop of use, recycling, and reuse.
We enable CRED participants to use sustainable materials as they gain practical experience
Tackling waste to unlock potential
Paint360 has been the sole provider of paint for our Clean, Rehabilitative, Enabling and Decent (CRED) programme across our contract with the Ministry of Justice for seven years.
CRED aims to rehabilitate prisoners through work experience in painting and decorating, stores, groundworks, and general maintenance, enabling prisoners to gain employability skills while improving their living conditions.
In addition to purchasing recycled paint, we also provide source materials through Household Waste Recycle Centres, establishing a closed-loop model to support the circular economy.
By introducing Paint360’s recycled paint products across multiple prison sites, we enable prisoners participating in the CRED programme to use sustainable materials as they gain practical experience.
This integrated approach has not only generated significant carbon savings but has also ensured that thousands of litres of waste paint are diverted from landfill, maximising both environmental and social value.
Our efforts have seen us reduce waste, lower carbon emissions, and create life-changing opportunities
Creating lasting change together
Since 2018, Amey and Paint360 have built a structured partnership that has expanded in both scope and impact.
Paint360’s products have been successfully introduced across multiple prison sites, creating a loop that sees prisoners gain practical work experience as part of the CRED programme, using recycled paint. This has delivered significant carbon savings while ensuring thousands of litres of waste paint are diverted from landfill.
Beyond procurement, the collaboration has supported employment pathways for prison leavers, with individuals who trained through the CRED programme moving into sustainable work with Paint360.
As our schools’ contracts embrace the benefits of Paint360, we are demonstrating how a supplier partnership can deliver real-world impact.
Together, our collaborative efforts have seen us reduce waste, lower carbon emissions, and create life-changing opportunities for people and communities.
“Trading with a social enterprise vendor can make sound operational commercial sense as well as supporting Amey’s ESG strategy and goals. The company’s three key goals are to accelerate the change to a resilient and low carbon future, to enhance the wellbeing of people and communities we impact, and to achieve sustainable and responsible growth. Amey’s work with Paint360 supports our work on the Clean Rehabilitative, Enabling and Decent (CRED) programme being run through our Ministry of Justice contract. This in turn helps Paint360 employ more people with barriers to employment.”