ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
Three-fold reduction of energy use per tonne of coatings and ink production since 1996 (Source: Coatings Care)
10 UN Sustainable Development Goals that the coatings industry align with
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reported, with the lowest ever rate of waste sent to landfill, at just 4% of the 1996 figure. One major sustainability challenge that still faces the paint industry, what to do with the 55 million litres of paint that are leftover each year. As it stands, 98% of this leftover paint is incinerated or landfilled, which is harmful to the environment. BCF’s response to this is PaintCare, a voluntary national stewardship programme which aims for 75% of leftover paint to be recycled, reused or remanufactured by 2030. Remanufactured paint has a 50% lower eco footprint, and the technology is already in use in a small number of companies. The paint industry is currently consulting stakeholders including Government and the PDA, before deciding on how to move the programme forward. More news is expected later this year. More information on the scheme and its benefits can be found on the PaintCare website at www.paintcare.org.uk
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THE 26TH UNITED Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, will be held in November this year. The UK Government holds the Conference’s Presidency and as the summit is being held in Glasgow, all eyes will on the UK to showcase its commitments to sustainability. The paint industry has already achieved a huge amount with regards to sustainable action. There has been a three-fold reduction in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds, or solvents) emissions since 1996, with 84% of decorative paints now sold being water-based. This has led to a five-fold reduction in the carbon footprint of paint consumption, making a significant positive impact on the sustainability of the paint industry. Looking at the footprint of paint production, UK factories have halved the amount of waste produced, with 55% of UK paint factories now sending zero waste to landfill and recycling levels up to 67%. Record low levels of energy used per tonne of production were
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SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESSES BUT CHALLENGES AHEAD
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To highlight and recognise our sustainability achievements to date, plus the challenges we still face, we will be launching our #sustainablecoatings campaign in October. This will be a social media campaign to raise awareness of sustainability efforts from the industry. If PDA Members would like to be involved, please email Evie Luxton at evie.luxton@bcf.co.uk
Five-fold reduction in carbon footprint of coatings consumption (Source: WWF)
Only 9% of all coatings and ink production waste sent to landfill, compared to 75% in 1996 (Source: Coatings Care)
Recycled paint has 50% lower eco footprint
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
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FROM COUNTRIES AND companies to consumers and citizens, tackling climate change is increasingly seen as a defining priority for the 2020s. Climate change has been triggered by increasing levels of greenhouse gases within the atmosphere. In June 2019, Parliament passed legislation that committed the UK to reducing its net emissions by 100 per cent by 2050. This made the UK the first major economy to pass laws to ensure that it ends its contribution to global warming, representing a milestone in the journey towards global sustainability. Established in 1901, BSI is the UK’s National Standards Body. They have over a century of experience and work with organisations of every size, across all industry sectors and understand small businesses and the issues they face. The Little Book of Net Zero for small businesses provides a straightforward ‘how to’ guide to get you started, and PDA Members can find the guide in the Sustainability and Environmental section of the PDA Members Resource Hub or directly at https://tinyurl.com/BSINetZero
Three-fold reduction in VOC emissions since 1996 – 84% of decorative paints sold are now water-based
