In 2020, Sofie Winge-Petersen and a group of students decided to find a solution to the large plastic waste from disposable packaging in the painting industry. From the beginning, they hoped that their idea would become a reality—and this has just happened to the young entrepreneur who now runs the DTU start-up Paint'R together with Johan C.S. Vangstrup and Victoria Strauss Søgaard.
Paint'R has developed a new type of packaging that, according to the start-up's own calculations, saves up to 86 per cent plastic compared to traditional buckets and results in a CO2 saving of approximately 69 per cent. More than 100 professional painters have tested the packaging, and 84 per cent prefer this solution to the classic paint bucket.
From study project to start-up
"It all started as a study project in the second semester, where had to develop something that contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the Green Entrepreneurship course," says Sofie Winge-Petersen, a BEng graduate from DTU.
The group spent half of the semester identifying a real problem. They chose the painting industry, among other things because a group member's father was a master painter, which gave them access to examine the industry's challenges up close.
"We went out and talked to him, other painters, and the industry, and quickly realized how many problems the traditional paint bucket presented—both in terms of climate and working environment," explains Sofie Winge-Petersen.
Although the painting industry accounts for only a small part of the construction industry's total carbon footprint, it is a major consumer of single-use plastic because the buckets cannot be reused as they are contaminated with paint.
Every year, about one billion paint buckets are thrown out in the EU, equivalent to about 1.5 billion kilos of CO2e, according to Paint'R's calculations. CO₂e stands for CO2 equivalents and is a conversion of greenhouse gases to the same 'currency' so that they can be compared.
Co-creation with painters
From the very beginning, Paint'R involved professional painters in the development. The group observed workflows and tested prototypes together with the users.
"The painters were generally unhappy with the traditional paint buckets. They appreciated sitting on them—but otherwise they were mostly complaining about them," says Sofie Winge-Petersen.
Many found that the buckets were heavy, difficult to handle and open, and not ergonomically designed. Traditional paint buckets consist of one large plastic bucket with a lid that, as mentioned, cannot be reused if it is contaminated with paint. Paint'R's solution consists of a specially designed, patented plastic bag with paint in a cardboard box.
Painter Allan Taarup, who has more than 20 years of experience at A.T. Malerservice and has tested the packaging, highlights in particular less waste and easier handling:
"You can get more paint out of Paint'R's solution than from the paint buckets and bags we normally use. And when you're done, you have two small plastic bags and a cardboard box. It doesn't take up any space."
He appreciates that the bag can be resealed with a clamp and that the packaging is now easier to transport thanks to feedback from the users.
