Interested in winning a garden shed?

Share your views with Essex County Council about what you would do with your leftover paint and be in with a chance of winning.

Leftover paint is frequently disposed of incorrectly and is a material that is banned from landfill in liquid form.

To date, more than 1,000 Essex residents have entered the competition which runs until Friday 30 October.

County Councillor Kevin Bentley, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth; Infrastructure; Waste and Recycling, said: “Treating paint related wastes cost the county over £600k last year and if we all do our bit and consider our options before throwing leftover paint away, we could potentially make a huge saving for the Essex taxpayer.

“Liquid paint is often fit for reuse and besides from offering it to family and friends, there are many worthy Community Repaint schemes that can benefit from our excess – one man’s waste is another man’s treasure after all!”

If reusing leftover paint is not an option, then the liquid must be hardened before disposal.

Hardening is a simple process that can involve either natural material such as soil, sand, sawdust, or paper and a well ventilated area or as an alternative a specialist paint hardener can be used.

Once hardened, paint can then be disposed of in the general waste and any metal containers can be recycled.

To find out more about hardening liquid paint or to donate it to a Community RePaint scheme go to http://ow.ly/RrkZX.

Residents are invited to follow the #LeftoverPaint for weekly facts and updates about what to do with paint!

Enter the competition here: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Environment%20Planning/Recycling-Waste/Pages/Default.aspx

For further information about waste and recycling in Essex please visit www.essex.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling