LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany – A new SAICM Policy Brief has been published that provides information about the current situation regarding global lead paint elimination. The document reports the successes of the multi-stakeholder effort within the organization’s SAICM-GEF project that aims for a fast realization of a global ban on lead paint. Pointing out the burden of disease due to lead exposure and its threats to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, the Policy Brief also offers a call to action for more political guidance: “Without laws to phase-out lead in paint, the shift to sustainable solutions will likely continue to occur at a slow pace,” the document states. It advises, “The adoption of a legally binding and enforced national regulatory framework effectively ensures there is a fair and level playing field for paint manufactures to adhere to lead paint standards and regulations, while holding non-compliant entities accountable. Effective enforcement of lead paint regulations aid in protecting human health and the environment, discouraging potential violators, and leveling the playing field for all companies.”
Georg Döring, Technical Marketing Manager for Architectural and Industrial Coatings and Expert for Lead Chromate Replacement at BASF Colors & Effects®, supported the Policy Brief with an expert statement from a pigment producer perspective. In his statement, Döring emphasized the decisive contributions: “The sustainable evolution of existing pigment portfolios forms a basis for the elimination of lead in paint. In addition to providing a broad lead-free portfolio, it is equally important to provide our customers with reformulation guidance. When small and medium-sized enterprises start reformulating their paints, they benefit from the knowledge exchange within our technical industry partnership.”