Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the paint and coatings industry. I’m sure that a majority of exhibitors at the upcoming American Coatings Show will focus on their company’s sustainability message, whether it be new product development, bio-sourcing, carbon neutral goals, improved manufacturing practices, etc.

Sustainability is an editorial focus in this issue as well. An interview with Innovakote addresses the huge amount of powder coating overspray waste that is dumped into landfills each year – an estimated 1.8 billion pounds in 2020 globally. For a segment of our industry that prides itself on a highly sustainable product, improvements can clearly be made when it comes to powder waste, and Innovakote introduces a circular solution to the industry.

We also feature an article by David Brunt Consulting about climate change and the future of coatings businesses. According to Brunt, sustainability is no longer just an environmentalist’s agenda, but is important to investors as well. Coatings companies can protect their future by setting science-based targets now, if they haven’t already.

A study by Carlisle Construction Materials, LLC (formerly Resinate Materials Group) presents encouraging results from a designed study looking at the combination of recycled and renewable feedstocks, as well as the use of non-metallic corrosion inhibition, resulting in a new product for superb metal substrate protection.

And an article by OmniTech International discusses the benefits soybean oil brings to the performance and sustainability of coatings. The article also reviews commercialized examples of soybean oil-derived materials such as solvent and waterborne alkyds, powder coatings, polyurethanes, powder coating resins, soy-modified latexes, reactive diluents and functional additives.

Does your company have a sustainability story? I would be happy to discuss article ideas with you for future issues of PCI, as well as for our upcoming Sustainability eBook to be produced later this year. Feel free to e-mail me at kristin@pcimag.com.