A SCHEME to encourage people to recycle paint instead of sending it to landfills was being officially launched today.

The Community Repaint Scheme, which will be run from the Worcestershire Resource Exchange, in Gregory's Bank, Worcester, by the environmental charity, The Worcestershire Duckworth Trust, aims to collect paint from businesses and individuals to sell on for use by art and community groups.

"This is the only scheme of its kind in the whole of Worcestershire," said Mark Driscoll, project manager at the Trust.

"Paint products can cause all sorts of pollution problems if not disposed of properly."

The Worcester News reported in February that Community Repaint, a national organisation promoting paint recycling, had awarded the Exchange a £3,000 grant to encourage paint recycling in Worcestershire.

The initiative has been launched mid-way through the Trust's annual Rubbish? Sort It! campaign, which began two weeks ago, with the aim of cleaning up areas of the city and promoting recycling.

Mr Driscoll added that the project would only be looking to collect water-based paints and pots that are at least half-full.