I AM writing to say a very big thank you to people in Southampton for helping their local Crown Decorating Centre on Southampton Trade Park, Millbrook to achieve record recycling results.

The figures for our annual Kick Out The Can unwanted paint recycling scheme show we have achieved the best response ever.

A staggering 8,660 containers of surplus paint were returned to Crown Decorating Centres across the UK during the Easter Week campaign – that is almost double the number collected last year.

Sheds, cupboards and garages across the country are thought to hold around 54 million litres of unused paint. and this annual scheme aims to give a new lease of life to the product.

All of the paint brought into the stores is now being reprocessed by social enterprise company Nimtech, and then it will be distributed to deserving community projects.

We are delighted that local people have once again taken the trouble to bring their unwanted paint into the local store and contributed to a real recycling success story.

Everyone who supported the scheme received a 20 per cent discount voucher to be spent in store. The vouchers are valid until July 31so don’t forget to redeem them in store.

Once again, thank you for helping us to recycle old paint for a greater community good – we couldn’t have done it without you.

Mark Lloyd, Sustainability Manager Crown Decorating Centres