One of the major drivers for innovation in the chemical industry today is sustainability. This not only relates to marketing claims, but will be a general trend in the industry for many years. Terms like ‘carbon footprint’, ‘independent of fossil resource-based raw materials’, ‘cradle-to-cradle design’ and ‘sustainable production’ are used more frequently and are increasingly incorporated into mainstream industry. This momentum toward sustainability can be used in such a way that a change in formulation also improves efficiency and product performance.
A sustainable business can be depended upon by its customers to supply products now and in the future. The megatrend toward making industry more sustainable has been translated by the coatings industry and legislative bodies into a number of (measurable) targets, such as CO2 (carbon) footprint and VOCs.