The purpose of this paper is to identify the environmental issues and sustainability future of the paint and coating manufacturing industry. In doing so we will closely review the industries oversight organizations in an effort to clearly define benchmarks and measurable progress. This paper will not address raw material suppliers nor consumers, despite their necessary collaboration requirements in order to best achieve sustainability within the entire industry.

Industry

Let us begin by understanding the fundamentals of the paint production industry, while we can all agree with Luis Fernandez of Rohm and Haas when he said,

"Paint and coatings are used to protect and beautify various goods--from cars to homes to toys to electronics. Fundamentally, the industry affords a benefit to society by making things last longer and look attractive."

We must also recognize the growing need for a more strategic improvement in reducing harmful consequences of paint products. This need is driven primarily by market-demands and regulatory requirements particularly to limit hazardous air pollutants (HAP’s) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and market trends.

Environmental Hazards

Common paint is composed of four basic types of materials; solvent, binder, pigment and addictive. While each component contributes a different advantage to the application, appearance or effects of the paint – each also comes at a cost. Least harmful is likely the solvent which helps create a solid form and add consistency measures to paint – these are generally comprised of water and organic solvents, therefore minimally dangerous. Binders (resin) is what remains once the solvents evaporate and what causes pigments to remain and create a ‘painted’ surface. Pigments provide color and opacity to paint and while they are dispersible, they are not soluble once merged with binders and solvent. Lastly, additives are used in small quantities to improve production and storage properties of the liquid paint as well as application and other performance properties (e.g., anti-marring agents, anti-mold agents). Generally, we classify conventional paints into two categories. (1) oil-based paints (e.g., alkyd) where the carrier is a solvent (linseed oil, petroleum distillate, alcohols, ketones, esters, glycol ethers) and consists of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s.). VOC’s are emitted during application of the coating and as the coating dries. VOC’s reacts with sunlight to contribute to smog. (2) Water-based paints (latex paints). The volatile organic compound (VOC) content of water-based paints is significantly lower than conventional solvent-based paints, thereby reducing VOC emissions.

Regulations

While companies alone are approaching the problems and striving to drive changes. Oversight of the industry is also helping to shape and direct improvements in a strategic and focused manner.

The approach taken by EPA to limit VOC emissions from architectural painting operations is to control what goes into the product, rather than to try to control the user. The resulting rules effectively force paint makers to minimize the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) in their products. The rules also limit the use of certain particularly hazardous materials, designated "hazardous air pollutants", or HAP’s. In addition, certain kinds of solvents known as "ozone depleting substances", or (ODS’s) are also strictly regulated. (Ironically, the problem with ODS’s is that they destroy ozone, as opposed to VOCs, which create it. However, ODS’s are long-lived compounds that gradually diffuse into the stratosphere, many miles above the earth, where most of their ozone destroying action occurs. While it is a health hazard at ground level, ozone in the stratosphere serves a function essential to human health, by blocking out the most harmful ultraviolet rays in sunlight. The use of ODSs is limited in order to protect