How do functional coatings and bio-based materials contribute to sustainability?

Functional coatings can contribute to sustainability, firstly, by their attributes, being safe and sustainable in their own right and, secondly, by providing functionalities that contribute to a more sustainable world.

With the aim of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the European Green Pact has been developed as a new growth strategy. The approach “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD) is a fundamental part of this strategy and is seen as a systemic and holistic approach that considers safety and sustainability from the early stages of the development of new surfaces, coatings, materials and products. This approach aims to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, minimize greenhouse gas emissions and promote the reuse and recycling of materials within a circular economy framework.

This means a lot in the chemical industry and in this case radically changes the way coatings are manufactured, ensuring their safety and sustainability, from the design phase to the end of their useful life.

One of our suppliers, for example, has developed a new grinding technique that allows us to optimize processes and reduce energy costs for our paint, printing ink and plastics customers.

We also work closely with companies that base their developments on renewable raw materials of biological origin. For these companies, the bio-based materials sector is not new and they already have a strong product portfolio, as they are an important component of circularity and are part of their company principles. Many bio-based waxes and components in dispersants and polymers are available.

Ethical chemistry is part of our value chain and our main objective for the coming years is to be able to work as much as possible in the search for new materials to minimize less safe and polluting chemistry, replacing fossil-based resources with renewable raw materials of biological origin whenever possible.