Paintback’s recycled products mark the next step in the organisation’s mission to keep unwanted paint and packaging out of landfill and waterways. With the launch of the Paint Circular Economy Headquarters (PaCE HQ) in 2025, Paintback can now recover materials collected through the scheme and transform them into a growing range of recycled products. This includes Greyscale Paint, the 4L Multipurpose Bucket, and innovative new applications such as the Ad-Back Concrete Additive.
Paintback Greyscale Paint
Greyscale Paint is made from reclaimed water-based paint collected through the Paintback scheme and manufactured locally in Victoria. The paint is created by treating and reprocessing collected materials to deliver a high-performing, reuse-focused product.
Suitable for both interior and exterior use, Greyscale Paint can be applied by brush, roller, or spray and adheres well to a wide range of surfaces, including plasterboard, masonry, concrete, timber, metals, and previously painted areas. Its thicker application helps reduce the number of coats required, lowering labour time and overall project costs.
Designed to support circular economy outcomes, Greyscale Paint reduces reliance on virgin materials and lowers embodied carbon emissions by approximately 15 kg CO₂ per 100 litres. It is low-VOC, compliant with Green Building Council of Australia standards, competitively priced, and delivers performance comparable to conventional paints making it ideal for graffiti coverage, public infrastructure, and community amenities.
Ad-Back Concrete Additive
Paintback’s Ad-Back Concrete Additive is an innovative, low-carbon concrete additive made from 100% reclaimed water-based paint collected through the Paintback scheme. It provides a scalable circular-economy solution that converts unwanted paint into a high-performance construction input.
The additive enables concrete producers to use high supplementary cementitious material (SCM) content (up to 70%), addressing durability challenges typically associated with low-carbon concrete, particularly carbonation.
By improving carbonation resistance (over 30–50% reduction in carbonation depth), Ad-Back helps protect steel reinforcement and extend asset lifespan, including in marine environments, without compromising compressive strength.
Performance benefits include reduced dry shrinkage (around 14% over 56 days), maintained air content within acceptable limits, early strength gains that are suitable for fast-track projects, and equivalent compressive strength compared to control mixes. The product is designed for non-structural applications like footpaths, bikeways, pre-cast panels, sound barriers and non-structural infrastructure.
Ad-Back delivers clear environmental and commercial value, supporting ESG objectives, green procurement policies, and Australia’s Net Zero ambitions. It aligns with industry targets for low-carbon materials and innovation in the built environment by reducing embodied carbon while maintaining durability and performance.
Multi-Purpose Recycled Plastic 4L Bucket
Paintback’s goal has always been to divert unwanted paint and packaging from landfill and waterways, and convert it instead into invaluable resources we can use again and again. To date, Paintback has collected and treated over 60 million kgs of unwanted paint and packaging which has been dropped off to over 165 Paintback locations across Australia as well as many pop-up events.
It’s not easy to clean used plastic paint pails, and they are often hard to recycle. From unwanted paint packaging, we've created a 100% plastic recycled, Aussie-made 4L multi-purpose bucket, perfect for paint or handy jobs around the home or paint site.
You can find the Paintback bucket in selected Bunnings Warehouses and Haymes Paint Shops across the country whilst stocks last.