Europe
by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
The use of biomaterials and more benign chemicals in coatings in Europe is ac- celerating as whole supply chains give
greater priority to sustainablity, particularly as
a means of protecting the environment.
At the same time, however, producers of
coatings and their raw materials are having to
deal with uncertainties about exactly what materials can be categorized as being environmentally acceptable. Sustainability is not always
something that can be easily proved.
European standards bodies are currently
drawing up standards for biomaterials, which
should help establish the biological genuineness of chemicals like biosolvents, biosurfactants and biopolymers.
However, with more complex issues like
biodegradation and bioaccumulation, which
are covered by environmental and safety legislation, European regulators could take several
years to draw up specific rules for coatings raw
materials such as pigments.
Meanwhile, a growing proportion of companies, many of them buyers of coatings, are
utilizing office IT systems to ensure that personnel meet corporate sustainability criteria,
including regulatory compliance, when purchasing products.
Use of these software tools reflects the rising proportion of companies in Europe that are
now wanting to switch as much as possible to
‘green’ products.
In a recent global study of 500 industry
executives, McKinsey & Company, a management consultancy, found that greenness is
considered to be one of three “very important” factors along with consistency/quality
European
standards bodies
are currently
drawing up
standards for
biomaterials,
which should
help establish
the biological
genuiness of
chemicals like
biosolvents,
biosurfactants
and biopolymers.
European Coatings Market
Embraces Sustainability
