Study Reveals Environmental and Safety Improvements for Coatings Industry
COVENTRY, UK — Following the results of the British Coatings Federation’s 2017 Indicators of Performance(IoP) study, it was revealed that the coatings industry has made noticeable improvements from 2016, especially in regards to safety and environmental performance. Data from 36 manufacturing sites making paints, coatings and printing inks have been surveyed every year since 1996.
2017 was a milestone year as it represented the lowest ever figure for injuries per 100,000 hours worked. Over a long-term trend, the rate has come down from a high of 0.85 in 1996 to a low of 0.16 in 2017. The amount of waste sent to landfill decreased, and the proportion of participants reporting zero landfill increased dramatically, from 38% in 2016 to 47% in 2017. Recycling now accounts for 63% of all the waste created by BCF’s members, compared to 17% in 1996. In contrast, waste to landfill has plummeted from 75% at a peak, to 8% today.