About the BCF

The British Coatings Federation is a widely respected and consulted trade association and the representative body for the UK’s £4 billion-a-year paint, printing ink, powder coating and wallcovering manufacturing industries.

Maintaining industry growth and competitiveness

Despite the fact that the BCF’s current name was only adopted in 1993, its history dates back to 1912 when it was known as The National Federation of Associated Paint, Colour and Varnish Manufacturers of the United Kingdom. Today, the BCF has 140 members representing not only the paint sector but also inks, wallcoverings and associated interests.

Issues that the BCF deals with have grown well beyond those envisioned by the founding members, but the principle remains the same: effective collaboration to maintain the Paint and Coatings Industry’s growth and competitiveness.

A focus on paint recycling

Some of the BCF’s latest nationwide projects are calling for governmental support in implementing the industry-led solution to tackle the estimated 55 million litres of waste decorative paint generated in the UK each year. The highly publicised initiative PaintCare sees this left-over paint as a valuable resource and plans to recover and reuse it. Consumers will be able to take their old paint to their local waste recycling centre or DIY outlet where it would be taken to a paint recycling factory for sorting, mixing and testing to make new paint of the highest quality for re-selling. It is a closed loop system – paint made from paint.