A Sustainable Breakthrough from Shed to Centre Court

APT and Paintback sign world first recycled paint partnership 

In a global first for the sports surface industry, APT (Advanced Polymer Technology) has joined forces with Paintback to give unwanted domestic paint a powerful second life through their Australian-made Laykold® courts and the backing of all locally produced turf products. 

From October 2025, every Australian-made Laykold court and APT turf system will include recycled paint supplied by Paintback, turning waste into world-class performance surfaces. 

This exclusive partnership will increase the renewable and recycled content of APT Australian-made products to up to 83%, making them the greenest sport surfaces in the world and marking an important environmental advancement for the industry. 

Diverting 240 litres of paint from landfill and waterways every year

For nearly a decade, Paintback has been helping Australians dispose of unwanted paint responsibly, preventing millions of litres from entering landfill and waterways. Since 2016, the not-for-profit has collected and treated more than 51 million kilograms of paint and packaging from 165+ collection points across the country.

The collaboration with APT marks the first time Paintback has been able to extend into the sport surface industry and will divert 240 tonnes of paint from Australian landfill and waterways annually.

Paintback R&D General Manager, Rachael Roberts said:

“We have an ambitious mission to divert 90% of Australia’s unused paint from landfill and waterways and the partnership with APT has opened up a whole new avenue to help us achieve this goal.”

A sustainable solution underpinned by extensive R&D 

The breakthrough is the result of over three years of research, development and joint testing between APT’s R&D scientists and Paintback’s technical team to ensure the recycled materials deliver the same trusted performance standards that define every APT surface. 

Rachael Roberts continues; 

“Chemistry is at the heart of any good partnership but even more so here. We’ve worked tirelessly with APT’s R&D team to perfect the formula and can now deliver the quality and volume of recycled paint required to supply courts and turfs to clubs and communities across Australia.”

Paintback’s paint will be upcycled in the base layer of Laykold court systems and the backing of all APT turfs to deliver proven surfaces that perform just like the originals but are significantly better for the planet:

Laykold Courts x Paintback

• Laykold® courts will include up to 22% recycled paint in the undercoats
• This will preserve the vibrant colour and premium finish of the topcoats that Laykold is known for
• Each court will save the equivalent of 124 x 1L paint cans from landfill 

APT Turf Systems x Paintback 

• The backing of all APT turf systems will include 10% recycled paint
• The proprietary hybrid emulsion backing will be greener in colour and environmental performance
• Turfs have improved tuft bind than standard latex backed products
• Each standard soccer field will divert over 1,000 x 1L paint cans 

Meeting the growing demand for environmentally responsible surface solutions 

The collaboration with Paintback builds on APT’s global sustainability leadership. Together with initiatives like Laykold’s partnership with RecycleBalls and the use of renewable and bio-based raw materials, this partnership gives our court and turf systems an unprecedented environmental edge. 

It also helps APT and our partners meet the growing demand for more environmentally responsible surface solutions across schools, clubs, and major sporting venues.

Robert Corbo, R&D Lab Manager, APT Asia Pacific said;  

“Our customers are increasingly prioritising sustainable solutions that don’t sacrifice playing performance. 

Who would have thought that the answer could be found in the old paint pots at the back of Australian sheds? It’s a pioneering solution that we are really proud to have brought to fruition with the dedicated team at Paintback and marks an important step in our continued commitment to environmental innovation that sustains the communities and sports we serve across Asia Pacific.”

For more information about APT and Paintback click here or contact Victoria Brockett, Regional Marketing Manager, Sport Group Asia Pacific at [email protected]

Find out more at https://aptasiapacific.com.au/sustainability/paintback/