Petroleum-based materials (PBMs) have a variety of uses that have long benefitted consumers and industry. However, researchers and the public have become increasingly concerned about the environmental and health impacts of these materials over the last several decades. Today, sustainability is both a growing trend and seen as an act of corporate responsibility.
PBMs are commonly used in many waterborne coating segments. Some waterborne coating segments have undergone reformulation to synthesize biopolymers, dramatically reducing volatiles and the impact upon the environment and people. Still, PBMs are derived from fossil fuels and do not degrade, decompose, or dissolve within the limitations of earth’s natural ecosystem; they remain essentially unchanged in commercial landfills and the environment for centuries to come.