How do functional coatings and bio-based materials contribute to sustainability?
Functional coatings can contribute to sustainability in two ways: first, through their own characteristics by being safe and sustainable themselves, and second, by providing functionalities that contribute to a more sustainable world.
With the objective of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the European Green Deal was established as the new growth strategy. The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach is a fundamental part of this strategy and is considered a holistic framework that integrates safety and sustainability from the earliest stages of developing new surfaces, coatings, materials and products. This approach aims to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, minimise greenhouse gas emissions and promote the reuse and recycling of materials within a circular economy.
This represents a significant shift for the chemical industry and fundamentally changes the way coatings are developed and manufactured, ensuring their safety and sustainability from the design stage through to the end of their life cycle.
For example, one of our suppliers has developed a new milling technology that optimises production processes and reduces energy consumption for our customers in the paints, printing inks and plastics industries.
We also work closely with companies whose developments are based on renewable bio-based raw materials. For these companies, bio-based materials are not a new concept, and they already have a strong product portfolio because they are an essential part of circularity and their corporate principles. We offer a wide range of bio-based waxes and bio-based components for dispersants and polymers.
Ethical chemistry is part of our value chain, and our main objective for the coming years is to continue identifying new materials that reduce the use of less safe and more polluting chemicals by replacing fossil-based resources with renewable bio-based raw materials whenever possible.