PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY A BRIGHT FUTURE
Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the most important issues in the coatings industry, with the sector affected both by increasingly stringent environmental legislation and an ever more ‘eco-savvy’ customer base – including public sector specifiers. Fortunately, manufacturers within the paint industry have responded by rapidly expanding the range of ‘environmentally friendly’ paints on the market. However, as Hazel Shelmerdine, Assistant Brand Manager for Core Products at Dulux Trade, explains, the biggest industry advances are not just to be found in more sustainable formulations, but also in the research that is increasing our understanding of the long-term impact of coatings.
L
egislative changes have undoubtedly played a part in making the industry more sustainable. Stricter limits on the amount of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) that paints can contain have shifted the entire industry towards the production of lower solvent paints and more water-based products. These products contribute less to atmospheric pollution, and also have other residual benefits, such as the ability to be washed out with soapy water, rather than solvent-based cleaners. However, while it may seem obvious that paints boasting robust environmental credentials will provide a more eco- friendly end-result, the truth is that a ‘green’ paint will not always provide the most sustainable solution in the long-term. While the ingredients used in the production of a coating are, of course, an important element of a product’s total environmental impact, its content alone does not tell the whole story. It is only by approaching performance from a longer- term and holistic viewpoint that the impact of a coating can be better understood.
THE WHOLE LIFECYCLE APPROACH In order to assess whether a product is more sustainable, it is important to take into account its entire life cycle. This holistic approach concentrates on the wider level sustainability of a coating, incorporating three key elements: how
*Compared to Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt formulation (pre February 2008).
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long a coating lasts, how much is needed, and what is in it.
A coating with a poor opacity will require more applications to complete a project, and this could increase the overall environmental footprint of the project, for example. This is also true of a paint that has a low spreading rate. Therefore it is not only the raw ingredients of a coating that is important to assess its footprint, but also how much of a product that will be used over an entire project. Similarly, there is little point in using a paint with more sustainable ingredients if it will only last half as long as alternative products, and therefore may have to be applied twice as often. Not only does this increase the long-term environmental impact of the coating, and also the financial cost, but also of the entire decorating process, with decorators having to return to the site more regularly. In many high traffic areas, therefore, highly durable paints, such as the Dulux Trade Diamond Range, could actually provide a more environmentally friendly solution in the long-term.
SUSTAINABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Industry analysis tools have been developed to help model the impact of a coating, helping manufacturers to develop new formulations to improve products’ sustainability without compromising on quality.
**The energy savings will not always equate to 22 per cent. They will vary depending on
PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
For example, the Environmental Impact Analyser system, which Dulux Trade has developed in conjunction with Forum for the Future, analyses three key impact elements (water, waste and carbon) and using this information, they have developed new technologies to formulate products that reduce traditional high impact ingredients whilst maintaining product quality and opacity – meaning that the final product will be more sustainable, in the wider sense of the word.
The Dulux Trade Ecosure range, for example, was designed and tested using the EIA. The new formulation Ecosure Matt contains 35 per cent less embodied carbon (the measure of CO2
emissions
produced during manufacture and delivery) than standard vinyl matt*. Furthermore, the range provides a performance that matches that of equivalent matt emulsions, with excellent opacity and coverage, as well as a highly durable finish.
The ground-breaking coatings are available in a full range of colours, including the Dulux Trade Light & Space colour range.
BIGGER AND BRIGHTER The Light & Space colour range arguably takes the holistic approach a step further. It has been developed in the knowledge that a coating’s environmental impact extends further than simply the product and its application itself, but also to how it contributes to the wider sustainability measures of the building it is applied to.
As part of Part L of the Building Regulations, specifiers and architects are under increasing pressure to install fixtures and fittings that actively reduce the energy used in a building. For instance, many are now specifying smaller windows for properties. Alongside the use of lower wattage light bulbs, these steps to make buildings more eco-friendly can reduce the amount of light in a room. Paradoxically, this can encourage increased energy consumption, as people are encouraged to use more artificial lighting for longer.
In response to this, Dulux Trade has developed the Light & Space colour range which uses light-reflective Lumitec
the contents, dimensions and floor colour of the room and will differ if lighting in particular
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