A startup founded by students at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has developed new sustainable packaging for the paint industry, which reduces plastic use and carbon dioxide emissions.
The startup, Paint’R, was founded in 2020 by Sofie Winge-Petersen and other students as part of an assignment for the university.
“We had to develop something that contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the Green Entrepreneurship course,” she said.
“[We] quickly realised how many problems the traditional paint bucket presented, both in terms of climate and working environment.”
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda, address global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and justice.
According to DTU, while 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 plastics since paint buckets cannot be reused once they are contaminated with paint.
Paint’R calculated that about one billion paint buckets are thrown out in the European Union every year, comparable to 1.5 billion kilograms of CO₂ equivalents.
Paint’R’s new packaging consists of a specially designed, patented plastic bag with paint in a cardboard box. It saves up to 86 per cent plastic compared to traditional buckets and results in a CO₂ saving of about 69 per cent.
The introduction of this new packaging is timely as Australia continues efforts to meet its own National Packaging Targets that include the removal of unnecessary single-use plastics and a commitment to recycling or composting 70 per cent of all plastic packaging.
The startup involved professional painters in the development of its new packaging, observing workflows and testing prototypes with users.
Winge-Petersen said more than 100 professional painters have tested the new packaging, and 84 per cent of them preferred it to the classic paint bucket. Among them is A.T. Malerservice painter Allan Taarup, who praised Paint’R’s packaging for its waste reduction and efficiency.
“You can get more paint out of Paint’R’s solution than from the paint buckets and bags we normally use,” he said. “And when you’re done, you have two small plastic bags and a cardboard box. It doesn’t take up any space.”
Paint’R is registered as a plastic manufacturer in the Danish Central Business Register – despite the company’s mission to reduce plastic consumption.
“It’s a paradox that we end up in that category when our goals are to reduce the use of plastic,” Winge-Petersen said.
“But in order to change the industry’s practices and market our solution to the major players, we must work within the existing framework.”
Paint’R’s patented packaging is expected to be available in Danish stores in early 2026, before being launched in other European markets.
Related stories:
Research team finds fungi could turn agricultural waste into food
Powering up a national effort to restore the Great Barrier Reef
