It’s about the use of safe materials and consistent viability of saving time, materials, and energy. The holistic approach of the Coating Additives business line ensures that the lifecycle of coated objects is increased and that resources are saved.
The holistic sustainability approach is based on two main pillars. “Minimize the footprint” focuses on reduced emissions by using raw materials and resources more efficiently. “Maximize the handprint” highlights effects and solutions that reduce the environmental impacts in the formulation, application and end use of coatings and inks.
Seven handprint effects
Accordingly, Evonik Coatings Additives bundles its new sustainability approach into seven so-called handprint effects. “The handprint of a product is the difference between an established and an improved condition of a single environmental impact,” describes Tim-Frederic Sloot, Head of Sustainability at Evonik Coating Additives. The business line has defined seven different effects which outline potential handprints for its products and solutions. These seven handprint effects influence different steps of the value chain – from the manufacturing, via the end use of coated or printed articles to the disposal or recycling.
There are four handprint effects that focus mainly on the formulation and application step of coatings and inks. These four effects are “Safe Use”, “Production Efficiency”, “VOC Reduction”, and “Sustainable Feedstocks”. The next two handprint effects of “Durability” and “Labels/Compliance” have their highest relevance in the end use phase of coated articles. The seventh and last handprint effect, “Circular Solutions”, focuses on the end of life of coated and printed articles. As a key member of Evonik’s Circular Plastics Program, the Coating Additives business line focuses the development of its portfolio on circular solutions for paints, coatings and inks.
Next generation solutions
Evonik Coating Additives evaluates its product portfolio according to the framework for Portfolio Sustainability Analysis (PSA), developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). With the evaluation it is possible to identify products and solutions with a clearly positive sustainability profile that is above the market reference level, the so-called Next Generation Solutions. On COATINO®, the next generation solutions are tagged with a green label, making it easier to identify them.
On COATINO® Campus, Evonik Coating Additives offers a variety of trainings and live event recordings with a focus on sustainability or regulatory guidance. Our business line offers many documents for the measurability of sustainability, such as life cycle assessments or C14 radiocarbon analyses. The documents are available on request here.