across the U.S. and Canada and that they will eventually regulate VOCs added from colorant in retail. If regulations go
where we predict, the industry will need to make similar
investments in technology.
Wheeler, Dunn-Edwards: In California, local air districts other
than SCAQMD are in the process of amending their architectural coatings rules to implement the California Air Resources
Board’s 2007 Suggested Control Measure for Architectural
Coatings (SCM). New, lower VOC limits for many major coating categories will become effective on January 1, 2011, with a
few additional limits taking effect a year later. Affected categories include flats, non-flats, wood coatings, rust preventative
coatings, specialty primers, and primers, sealers and undercoaters. SCAQMD Rule 1113 is more stringent than the SCM.
Paint manufacturers are already reformulating current products, or formulating new products, to meet the future effective
limits. As always, the overwhelming challenge is to maintain
product performance while radically changing the organic solvent content of coatings. Dealing with increasing costs and
potential hazards are also challenges. For example, one low
VOC formulating strategy is to replace ordinary paint thinners
with acetone, an exempt compound that is more expensive and
greatly more hazardous because of its extreme flammability.
CW: What are you looking for from your raw material suppliers during these tough economic times?
O’Neil, Kelly-Moore: We would encourage raw material producers and/or providers to continue to produce and make available
quality raw materials at a competitive and/or reasonable cost.
In addition, we would also encourage all raw material producers to maintain a high level of commitment to continue their
research and development efforts to make available to the
paint industry, safe and effective raw material enhancements
or new technologies. This would allow us to continue to build
quality, environmentally sound and safe architectural coatings
for the professional applicator as well as the consumer.
Weller, Rodda: Supply is the main issue when it comes to
raw materials. We need to be able to cut down the timing
from order to receiving and to create better turns when
manufacturing and distributing to the field while maintaining our cost controls.
Autenrieth, Benjamin Moore: We source from industry leaders
who drive technologyand innovative products supporting our
requirements for superior performance and low and zero VOC
products. These suppliers must also demonstrate sustainability in their processes and supply chain.
CW: Are there any other trends or issues you see
impacting the interior decorative coatings market in
the years ahead?
O’Neil, Kelly-Moore: Regulatory developments and health con-
cerns will continue to impact the interior decorative coatings
market. The paint industry must face up to the reality that
environmental regulations and exposure concerns are here to
stay and will become more restrictive as time goes on.
Weller, Rodda: Inferior products can be a factor especially in
times of price erosions. It is hard to compete with “price only”
products while maintaining your relationship with customers
and reputation of quality in the maintenance field.
Greenwashing is another factor trying to decipher which goal
to hit and lack of on-site education and testing to maintain that
the original specification is being met. As a regional manufacturer we continue to persuade consumers to shop locally and
support our local economies and help ourselves recover faster
from the slower economic times.
Wheeler, Dunn-Edwards: One emerging issue is product
stewardship, or “extended producer responsibility.” For the
paint industry, this means manufacturers taking responsibility for managing post-consumer paint; that is, unwanted
leftover paint, which may be a burden to local waste management agencies that operate “household hazardous waste”
collection programs. Recent legislation in Oregon will bring
about the nation’s first industry-run post-consumer paint
management program as a pilot project. Other states are
expected to follow suit after the results of the pilot project
are collected and analyzed. Another issue is the increasing
interest, among both industry and regulatory agencies, in
using VOC reactivity-based standards in paint rules.
“Reactivity” refers to the ability of a VOC to promote the formation of ozone, a key ingredient of urban smog. Different
VOCs have different degrees of reactivity; they may differ by
more than an order of magnitude. This is why regulating
VOC content in the conventional way—by limiting the
weight of VOC per volume of coating—may have little or no
beneficial effect on air quality, or may actually be counterproductive, when a smaller amount of high-reactivity VOC
replaces a larger amount of low-reactivity VOC.
CW: What must the interior decorative coatings industry do to be successful in the years ahead?
O’Neil, Kelly-Moore: Innovation is really the key to a successful interior decorative coatings market in the future.
We must continue to engineer interior coatings that will
provide excellent performance and durability, ease of application and will maintain aesthetic value for an acceptable
period of time.
Weller, Rodda: The paint industry must continue to develop
quality products and educate consumers on their value to be
successful in the future.
Autenrieth, Benjamin Moore: Industry must invest in technology and avoid the temptation to “greenwash.” Claiming a product is zero VOC and green if it has more than 100 grams per
liter after tinting will come back to haunt the industry as consumers become better educated about paint. CW
