Kathryn Tormay, Group Leader Wallpaints Research and Development at Crown Paints, said, “We have always known that post-consumer waste is an industry issue, which is why we have many initiatives to take back and reuse paint where possible. However, we can go further, which is why we have taken the opportunity to join the PLF task force. We believe by collaborating across industries we can tackle the key challenges set out by the RSC and be at the forefront of innovations and solutions to an industry-wide issue.”

Mark Cooper, Group Chief Technology Officer at Scott Bader, added, “Polymers have a critical role to play in solving future challenges across society and we welcome this initiative to drive collaborative industry action to improve the sustainability of PLFs, enabling a more sustainable future for all."

Professor Tom Welton, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said, “PLFs haven’t had enough attention over the years because they are ingredients rather than products. It is their flexibility and usefulness that makes them so prevalent — and therefore implementing a circular economy for these products presents several technical challenges. Currently, these valuable chemicals are produced in huge quantities, used, and then never recovered. We simply must develop new technologies and apply circular economy principles to collect them, reuse them as new products and raw materials, and offer further biobased and biodegradable alternatives. There are technical challenges in creating sustainable alternatives, but overcoming these challenges would offer colossal sustainability benefits, which is why we are forming this task force. With some of the world’s largest players in this sector joining us to tackle this issue, we have a fantastic opportunity to make real and lasting change. But these are just first steps — solutions will only come through the concerted action of academia, industry and civil society.”

PLFs are very useful and, because of this, the market is technically diverse and complex. It comprises hundreds of different polymer types within the categories of acrylic, epoxy resins, polyesters, polysilicones, polyurethanes, radiation-curable, vinyl, and water-soluble and other low-volume polymers. Because of their usually high molecular weight, polymers are generally considered of low environmental concern in terms of toxicity. They are currently exempted from registration and evaluation within REACH, but the European Commission is currently reviewing this exemption.

Driven by the RSC’s new report, Polymers in Liquid Formulations: Opportunities for a Sustainable Future, the task force will map out a sustainable future for PLFs and establish clear industry leadership regardless of regulatory drivers. It forms part of the RSC’s Synergy program to unite businesses around complex, chemistry-based challenges affecting multiple industries and supply chains.

The task force will convene this year to launch a plan for action in 2022, initially focusing on five key areas:

• Establishing new innovation networks that promote collaboration between academia, industry and policy;

• Identifying and championing key research themes and priorities that will support researchers and businesses to tackle PLF innovation challenges;

• Exploring the emerging need for a consistent approach to PLF biodegradability and stability testing;

• Investigating opportunities for chemistry-based innovations in developing circular economy solutions in key markets such as paints, adhesives and sealants; and

• Engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that a science- and evidence-based approach is used to develop future policy for PLFs.

Cross-sector sustainability initiatives driven by academic communities, SMEs, policymakers and funders will also play a vital role in accelerating and de-risking the innovation needed to reduce reliance on fossil-derived feedstocks, reduce waste generation, and maximize the value of PLFs in liquid and curable formulation systems.

Damian Kelly, Vice President Technology and Innovation at Croda, said, “Croda is committed to sustainability, and the PLF Task Force is an excellent opportunity to bring industry together to set a sustainable course for thousands of polymers, with the RSC’s priorities providing a framework to drive collaborative leadership and innovation in this field. Croda is an active member of the RSC and we are excited to be part of this Task Force, as we believe our continued success and positive impact on the world is driven by the strength of our relationships, with sustainability at the heart of what we do.”

LONDON – Some of the world’s largest companies are uniting to find ways to make a group of key ingredients — worth approximately $125 billion to the global economy — more sustainable and more valuable. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is bringing industry together to plan a strategy to make better use of unrecovered polymers in liquid formulations (PLFs).

Polymers in liquid formulations have a number of practical uses and are found in millions of products from paints, adhesives and sealants to fertilizers, lubricants and cosmetics. They are also used in water treatment, ink production and even household cleaning products such as washing detergent. There are very few ways to recycle PLFs; more than 36.25 million tonnes are not recovered after use every year — enough to fill 14,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools or Wembley Stadium 32 times. Now, the Royal Society of Chemistry is convening an industry task force to plan a way to tackle this poorly known waste stream and drive innovation to tackle the issue, improve waste management and introduce a circular PLF economy. Scott Bader, Crown Paints, Unilever, Croda and Afton Chemical are among the first companies to join the task force and commit to improving the sustainability of PLFs.

Industry Task Force Makes Better Use of Unrecovered Polymers in Liquid Formations

PaintCare Collects 50 Millionth Gallon of Paint

WASHINGTON – As of June 30, 2021, PaintCare, the nonprofit organization set up by paint manufacturers to operate paint recycling programs, has collected more than 50 million gallons of paint from households and businesses. PaintCare programs are available in states that have passed paint stewardship laws and provide a statewide network of convenient locations where the public can recycle postconsumer paint, stain and varnish.

“We are excited to announce our 50 millionth gallon of paint collected across 10 programs,” said PaintCare President Marjaneh Zarrehparvar. “We are grateful to our partners — paint and hardware stores, household hazardous waste facilities, and other organizations, working together with paint manufacturers to take responsibility for leftover paint and lower the cost of paint management. Our program offers new options for households, businesses and institutions to dispose of leftover paint responsibly, diverting it from landfills to be recycled into new paint products, or put to other beneficial uses.”

Since Oregon passed the first paint recycling law in July 2009, PaintCare has launched programs across the country following the passage of similar laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and, most recently, New York, where a new program is expected to begin operation in 2022. There are more than 2,000 drop-off sites across all of PaintCare’s programs, most at paint and hardware retail stores. In addition, PaintCare has managed paint from more than 5,840 collection events.

As PaintCare is surpassing this milestone, it continues to hone its operations and public outreach efforts. Recently, the organization lowered its threshold to qualify for a large-volume pickup from 200 gallons to 100 gallons, measured by container size (not liquid volume), creating a new opportunity for large-scale paint collection for many more consumers. PaintCare has provided more than 5,000 free pickups for households, businesses and organizations with large amounts of paint to recycle.

Additionally, the organization recently underwent a rebranding process to increase the effectiveness of its public education efforts around paint stewardship. “As we look forward to PaintCare’s next 10 years and expansion to additional states, we took the opportunity to refresh our brand to ensure our identity and mission are better understood by paint consumers,” said PaintCare Director of Communications Brett Rodgers. “PaintCare’s updated logo is intended to more clearly illustrate the organization’s role providing valuable support to businesses and households in the form of convenient paint recycling options.”

How Women in STEM Can Help a Post-Pandemic, Post-Brexit Britain  

GATESHEAD, UK – According to 2019 figures from the UK Government, there are now just over a million women (1,019,400) in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. This translates to an increase of more than 350,000 women (24%) entering these areas of work. While this may be encouraging to hear, there is still a long way to go for gender equality in these male-dominated industries. The target of additional women in STEM was reached for the 2020s. For the 2030s, the target is 1.5 million women in STEM occupations, which would makes 30% of this workforce filled by women. According to the Harvard University Institute of Politics, 30% is the “critical mass” level where a minority group of women would have the ability to influence real change. In a post-pandemic, post-Brexit world, women in STEM have become more important than ever, as these two events have highlighted issues within these sectors.

People working in STEM are likely to have higher paying jobs. There is a lot of growth in these jobs as well as high employment rates for graduates. With fewer women in STEM fields, they are at a disadvantage by being underrepresented in some of the most lucrative and secure industries.

According to the UN’s report, Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, “Across the globe, women earn less, save less, hold less secure jobs, are more likely to be employed in the informal sector. They have less access to social protections and are the majority of single-parent households. Their capacity to absorb economic shocks is therefore less than that of men.”

Diverse Perspectives
Melinda Gates, philanthropist and former General Manager at Microsoft, said, “Innovation happens when we approach urgent challenges from every different point of view. Bringing women and underrepresented minorities into the field guarantees that we see the full range of solutions to the real problems that people face in the world.”

The pandemic taught us that empathetic, reactive and agile leadership is essential to help curb the spread of the virus. Legislation put forward by the female prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, helped stamp out the virus across the entire country. It has been reported that female leaders have handled the pandemic crisis well.

Now more than ever it is important to have a female point of view in the workplace, not just in politics and running countries, but in industries where women are underrepresented. Women can bring diverse and fresh perspectives to male-dominated fields, creating a better platform for innovation, creativity and decision-making.

Embracing and Encouraging Women in STEM
Glass ceilings can be one of the primary reasons why women shy away from degrees and occupations in STEM. Throughout their education, girls are systematically drawn away from science and math courses, and this discourages them from pursuing opportunities and training to enter these fields professionally.

Women can be encouraged to pursue STEM by exposing girls to STEM material and introducing them to female role models in these industries at a young age. Young girls can be encouraged to participate in STEM programs through funding and ambassadors, and society can work to break down stereotypes around male and female careers. Opening doors for women in STEM can benefit industry and create better opportunities for both women and the world.

Sarah Eckersley to Keynote Eastern Coatings Show 2021

FAIRLESS HILLS, PA – The Eastern Coatings Federation Inc. recently announced that Sarah Eckersley is the keynote speaker of the Eastern Coatings Show 2021. Eckersley’s presentation is titled, “Sustainability in Coatings: By Accident or Design?”

Eckersley is the Global Director of R&D and TS&D for Coating Materials, Monomers and Plastics Additives at Dow. She is responsible for the development and delivery of innovations aligned to business strategy. Eckersley collaborates with marketing and commercial organizations to identify high-value initiatives for growth and profitability. She is passionate about developing technology that is relevant to the marketplace.

Registration for the Eastern Coatings Show 2021 is now open. The show will take place Nov. 17-19 at Harrah's Atlantic City.

Waterborne Symposium Issues Call for Papers

NEW ORLEANS – Organizers of the 2022 Waterborne Symposium are seeking submissions from academia, government and industry to present novel research results in all aspects of coatings. The symposium will take place Feb. 20-25, 2022, in New Orleans. The deadline for submitting an abstract is Oct. 25, 2021. Speakers will be presenting on February 23, 24 and 25.

The Waterborne Symposium Committee will be reviewing abstracts based on their technical content and contribution. All presentations must be original (first time presented) and non-commercial. Speakers must submit an original paper for publication in the symposium’s annual proceedings book. Presentations should represent recent advancements in coatings science or related disciplines and should be no less than 20 minutes and no longer than 30 minutes.

Papers pertaining to new and emerging technologies related to materials, processes, production, characterization, application and markets in the field of surface coatings will be considered. Suggested topics include: novel waterborne materials, high solids, new technologies, nano (structure or technology), architectural coatings, protective coatings, emulsion, renewable/bio-based coatings, corrosion and adhesion, functional coatings, high throughput, UV, pigments/additives, weathering/durability, wood coatings, powder coatings advancements, general session (all other coatings-related topics).

Visit the symposium website to learn more and to submit an abstract.

The 49^th Annual International Waterborne, High-Solids and Powder Coatings Symposium is a five-day event bringing together coatings formulators, chemists, managers, business owners, industry suppliers, students and educators to network and learn about the latest research and technology in the field of paint and coatings. The symposium offers educational and technical presentations to create an understanding of the theory, science, manufacturing and marketing of coatings. The goal of the symposium is to further the advancement of coatings technology through these speaker platforms.