Product Opportunity Summary: Paints & varnishes - Wrap
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April 2013
Product Opportunity Summary: Paints & varnishes
Priority action areas for retailers and manufacturers of paints and varnishes to reduce the carbon, material and waste impacts
of their products.
Setting priorities and identifying opportunities
Paints and varnishes can bring environmental benefits by improving the durability and useful lifespan of household products such as furniture and the
building fabric itself. Conversely, of course paints and varnishes have environmental impacts. The most high profile of these are VOCs (Volatile Organic
Compounds) which have been the focus of regulatory and voluntary action. In addition, some leading companies have measured the overall carbon
footprint of their products, whilst others have focused on ingredients and chemical composition resulting in a wide range of ‘eco-paint’ ranges.
So, where should the paint and varnishes sector go from here?
What are the main environmental impacts? New WRAP-funded
research, ‘Opportunities for reducing the impacts of home products’,
provides an overview of the carbon, material and waste impacts of the
UK paints and varnishes sector, using available data;
What should we do about it? The research then quantifies the most
significant opportunities to reduce these impacts, based on current or
potential examples. Showing which actions are likely to be most
effective will help producers and retailers to prioritise areas for further
investigation.
How can we find out more? This document summarises those main
opportunities, illustrated using real-life examples. Links to the full
report and other product opportunity summaries are outlined in the
‘Further information’ section.
Introduction forward
Main Opportunity 1: Opportunity 2:
environmental Collection and Lower impact
impacts exchange systems materials page 1
Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
What are the main environmental impacts?
The new WRAP-funded research uses extensive data analysis to calculate the level of environmental impact (in terms of carbon, material use and
waste) resulting from paints and varnishes for the whole UK market. Insufficient data was available to calculate energy and water impacts.
The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from paints
occur at the raw material phase, i.e. the extraction and/or generation of “About one quarter of the overall environmental impact of the
paint ingredients, rather than at the point of formulation or other life cycle
stages.
paint is from the paint manufacturer, while the remaining 75% of
the impact is within the paint manufacturer’s supply chain.”
Some studies show that for water-based paints, disposal is the second Joint Research Centre, IPTS, 2012
highest impact area.
Using 2.5L of water-based paint in a polypropylene container as a A recent review* of 7 separate paint life cycle assessments concluded that:
representative product for the sector, and scaling it up to UK level,
indicates that paint and varnish sold on the UK market on an annual Solvent-based paints have a higher environmental impact than
basis generate: corresponding water-based paints;
470,000 tCO2e (GHG emissions) at the design and extending the life of a product contributed most to the environmental
benefit of the paint;
manufacture stage;
the impact of transportation is negligible;
12,000 tCO2e during delivery and installation;
the lack of inventory data on paint fillers, pigments and additives meant
4,000 tCO2e during use. that the assessment of the environmental impact of these components is
largely incomplete.
Note that the design and manufacturing stage covers raw material
extraction and production as well as the paint manufacturing stage.
Scaled based on an estimated UK annual sales volume of 561,854 tonnes * Revision of EU European Ecolabel and Development of EU Green Public Procurement
(source PRODCOM). Criteria for Indoor and Outdoor Paints and Varnishes, JRC IPTS & Oakdene Hollins, 2012
Main back : forward
Introduction environmental Opportunity 1: Opportunity 2:
impacts Collection and Lower impact
exchange systems materials page 2Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
Opportunity 1: Collection and exchange systems (part 1)
The WRAP-funded research identified setting up collection and exchange systems for unwanted paints and varnishes as the top opportunity for the
sector to reduce GHG emissions. The impact of unused paint from the DIY sector is calculated to be sizeable, and widespread collection and
redistribution of unused product from domestic applications in the UK has yet to be developed.
Environmental benefits of re-use:
If all unused paint (i.e. maximum potential), on a UK wide level, was
taken back and re-used the annual savings would be approximately**:
30,000 tCO2e
84,000 tonnes of waste
Commercial and social benefits of re-use:
Disposal of surplus paint can be expensive, especially for sole
traders and smaller businesses;
If donated to charities, local not-for-profit organisations or low
Source: Paint and woodcare products – distribution and delivery, WRAP 2011.
income households via a reputable scheme, re-use can provide
valuable community benefits.
336.5 million litres of paint was sold to the UK retail and trade markets in
2012 and it is estimated that approximately 15% is unused, either stored Tools to help prevent leftover paint include the promotion of ‘paint
in garages, attics or sheds or simply thrown away. calculators’ to DIY customers to ensure accurate prediction of volumes
needed.
Whilst the percentage of unused paint in the trade sector is generally
very low, in the DIY sector the rates of unused paint may be as high as
25%.* ** Calculations use a 2.5L polypropylene bucket of water-based paint as the
representative product and are based on a scenario whereby (i) 15% of total UK paint
* Data sources: Community Repaint website (Feb 2013) & ‘Final report – Paint and sales is unused and collected and (ii) 60% of the collected paint is redistributed and
woodcare products’, WRAP, June 2011 re-used.
Opportunity 1: back : forward
Introduction Main Collection and Opportunity 2:
environmental exchange systems Lower impact
impacts materials page 3Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
Opportunity 1: Collection and exchange systems (part 2)
Disposal of surplus paint can be expensive, especially for sole traders and smaller businesses. Some organisations are leading the way and showing
what is feasible. Volumes suggest that there is significant room for extending similar collection and take-back schemes in order to reduce impacts.
Community RePaint (CRP):
CRP was established in 1992 and
now consists of over 65 schemes
nationwide. Each scheme collects
The Paint Place reusable, leftover paint and re-
in Leytonstone
also known as distributes it to community groups,
Community charities, voluntary organisations
RePaint East and people in social need.
London
In 2012, the CRP national network collected 387,495 litres of surplus
paint and redistributed over 218,000 litres of paint.
For donor companies and organisations, finding a suitable re-use
Crown Take-back Event: scheme can lower disposal costs and fulfil CSR (Corporate Social
In March 2013, Crown Paints launched its ‘Kick out the Can’ campaign. Responsibility) aims.
This was a two week long period during which consumers were
encouraged to take unused and unwanted paint back to their local Crown
For further details see: http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/
Paints decorating centre. Collected paint was processed and donated to
community projects via the charity Groundwork. Plastic and metal paint
containers were also reprocessed and recycled. “I had been searching for a more cost-effective solution for disposing of
our leftover paint for a while … Now, instead of throwing our paint away
There are approximately 54 million litres of paint unused in homes we donate it to our local Community RePaint scheme”
across the UK, enough to fill approximately 30 Olympic-sized swimming Ruth Sleightholme, House and Garden Magazine
pools - so there is plenty to go at.”
Mark Lloyd of Crown Paints
Opportunity 1: back : forward
Introduction Main Collection and Opportunity 2:
environmental exchange systems Lower impact
impacts materials page 4Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
Opportunity 2: Lower impact materials (part 1)
The choice of ingredients is the key to the performance of paints and varnishes. Formulations designed to deliver opacity, durability, coverage and
sheen are the subject of in-depth research and on-going development. In recent years, both consumer demand and regulatory drivers such as
European Product Directive 2004/42/EC have led paint and varnish producers to focus on reducing the VOC content of products via reformulation. This
has meant switching to resins with less VOC or waterborne products with a minimum amount of VOC. So is that it, job done?
Not quite. The fact that raw materials are the dominant cause of environmental impacts for paints means that they still offer significant opportunities
for improvement. The growth in the market for ‘eco’ or ‘natural’ paints, consumer concern over in-use emissions and expectations of responsible
brand behaviour indicate that there may be business benefits too.
“A key difficulty in defining the environmental impact of a paint is that “The total carbon footprint of solvent-based paints is about three times
there is no ‘standard’ paint formulation. One on line paint product the total carbon footprint of water-based paints.”
directory contains 10,000 different resin/polymer formulations, 9,000 Jotun Paints – Product Life Cycle Assessment, dcarbon8, 2007
additives and 4,500 pigments and fillers.” *
VOCs can they go any lower?
Most paint is made up of three primary constituents: Some ‘eco’ paints on the UK market such as NaturePaint contain zero
VOCs. However, there is great debate about the potential environmental
Pigment - provides colour and opacity; trade-offs if VOC reductions result in lower durability. This is because
Binder - acts like a glue in holding the pigment to the surface decreasing the frequency between repaints has a significant effect on
Solvent - this maintains the pigment and binder in liquid. reducing the total environmental impact of paint*. Earthborn’s Claypaint is
VOC free and has good durability meeting DIN53778 (a ‘scrubability’
Small quantities of fillers (e.g. calcium carbonate) and additives (e.g. standard) but note this should not be confused with ‘washability’.
biocides, surfactants, defoamers) can also be added.
Members of CEPE (the European Council of Paint and Printing Ink
The solvent component of the paint is key to its environmental producers) take the position that the 2010 VOC restrictions for Decorative
impact. It may be water or an organic solvent (derived from Paints and Varnishes introduced by European Directive 2004/42/EC
petroleum or natural sources such as citrus oil). The solvent used is represent the practical limit of what is technically feasible without
the key factor in determining VOC content and also impacts on the compromising quality and usability. They state that more stringent limits
carbon footprint. However, a water-based paint will often not be would impact on practical workability and/or film performance and
totally VOC free as other ingredients can also contain VOCs. appearance meaning that there would be a reduced service life before re-
painting is needed. According to CEPE, those shorter repaint cycles would
create a larger environmental impact overall.
* Revision of EU European Ecolabel and Development of EU Green Public Procurement
Criteria for Indoor and Outdoor Paints and Varnishes, JRC IPTS & Oakdene Hollins, 2012
Opportunity 2: back : forward
Introduction Main Opportunity 1: Lower impact
environmental Collection and materials
impacts exchange systems page 5Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
Opportunity 2: Lower impact materials (part 2)
The search for ingredients with lower environmental impacts but optimum performance should not stop at reducing VOCs. Other ingredients also
warrant investigation. For example, in 2009 AzkoNobel reformulated their highest selling ranges achieving a 30% reduction in the embodied CO2 with
their Dulux Matt Colours range and a 15% reduction in Dulux Matt Pure Brilliant White*.
Other ingredients
Although the solvent base is usually the top priority in terms of environmental impact, other ingredients should also be considered. A report by the
European Joint Research Council, IPTS & Oakdene Hollins in 2012 found that:
Cause of environmental impact (paints) Reduction opportunity (environmental impact)
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) manufacture is an important environmental impact of paint Yes, reducing TiO2 use can be achieved
production.
[Some LCAs show that where more than 10% TiO2 is used, it is the most significant
contributor to the paint’s overall environmental impact.]
Binder manufacture is an important environmental impact of paint production. Limiting the use of binders would reduce the overall
environmental impact of the paint (assuming a similar
[It should be noted that raw materials from renewable sources do not necessarily performance can be achieved). With additional primary
reduce the paint’s overall environmental impact. One study found that the research, it would be possible to rank the environmental
environmental burden of growing and producing soya oil for an alkyd paint produced performance of all binder systems. However, the optimal
different, but not necessarily less, environmental impact than corresponding binder to use would still have to be assessed on a case by case
synthetically produced binders.] basis because binders deliver a wide variety of properties and
are selected based on the requirements of each final product.
Additives have a wide range of health and environmental implications. Yes, use of alternatives is possible.
In terms of relative impact compared to Opportunity 1, the same report estimated that a 5% reduction in the amount of unused paint has a similar
environmental impact to a 25% reduction in the amount of TiO2 used.
*data source: Paint the town green, a case for sustainable innovation. Forum for the Future. 2010
Opportunity 2: back : forward
Introduction Main Opportunity 1: Lower impact
environmental Collection and materials
impacts exchange systems page 6Product Opportunity Summary: Paints and varnishes
Opportunity 2: Lower impact materials (part 3)
Leading paint companies are adopting different methods for identifying and reducing the environmental impacts of their paint formulations, as the
following examples demonstrate.
Using carbon footprinting
Crown Paints has introduced a programme to measure the carbon impacts of all products across its
range. The company has set targets to reduce GHG emissions across the life-cycle of its entire product
range, -10% by 2015 and -25% by 2020.
Initially, Crown Paints commissioned comprehensive PAS 2050 carbon footprint studies of two products:
Crown Trade Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt and Sandtex Flexigloss X-tra. Working with Best Foot
Forward, they then used ‘portfolio footprinting’ as a streamlined form of carbon measurement to
calculate the total carbon footprint of all Crown Paints’ products made in the UK. They aim to use the
results to develop lower impact formulations without compromising quality or performance.
Measuring improvements and incorporating innovation
As part of AkzoNobel, a global paints and coatings company, Dulux and Dulux Trade UK have been
actively working towards reducing the environmental footprint of its products and operations. Since 2007
AkzoNobel Decorative Paints UK has reduced its value chain carbon footprint by an estimated 24%*
meaning they are well on the way to hitting their target of halving their environmental footprint by 2020.
To review the on-going impact of their paints, AkzoNobel in conjunction with Forum for the Future,
developed their Environmental Impact Analyser. This tool allows the company to compare new proposed
product formulations against existing ones helping Dulux and Dulux Trade UK work towards continually
reducing the impact of their products without compromising their performance.
*Figure estimated for AkzoNobel Decorative Paints UK using Environmental Impact Analyser, Forum for the Future,
and theircurrent carbon footprinting methodology.
Opportunity 2: back : forward
Introduction Main Opportunity 1: Lower impact
environmental Collection and materials
impacts exchange systems page 7How can WRAP help you?
How can you help WRAP?
If you wish to find out the detailed methodology, assumptions and
results behind the data presented here, the full report ‘Opportunities The results from the report, ‘Opportunities for reducing the impact of
for reducing the impact of home products’ can be accessed at: home products’, are indicative in many cases as the analysis used
www.wrap.org.uk/content/reducing-impacts-home-products assumptions and extrapolations to overcome data gaps on a specific
product’s environmental impact or actual quantified examples of
Product Opportunity Summaries for other key home products including reduction actions. The analysis would benefit from manufacturers and
mattresses, paints and varnishes, furniture and kitchens can be viewed: retailers using their expertise and internal data to refine the
www.wrap.org.uk/content/reducing-impacts-home-products assumptions made to generate more accurate outputs.
WRAP has an extensive research base which provides valuable It is hoped that over time more data and insights will become available
information on environmental impacts and reduction opportunities for a to update the data, assumptions and analysis undertaken in the report.
number of products including electrical and electronic goods, textiles
and home products. For more information visit:
www.wrap.org.uk/content/increasing-resource-efficiency-products
The Product Sustainability Forum (PSF) is comprised of leading
retailers, suppliers and related stakeholders seeking to take an
integrated approach to reducing product impacts. For more information
see: www.wrap.org.uk/psf
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