Painting a better picture

27 January 1997 00:00  [Source: ACN]

Environmental concerns and the need for responsible management are fast becoming the most pressing issues in the Asian paint industry. Michelle Ng reports on the actions taken so far by paint manufacturers in the region

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ASIAN paint manufacturers are bracing themselves for greater environmental challenges in the next decade. The hottest issues debated by delegates at the Second Asian Paint Industry Council meeting held in Singapore concern responsible care in the industry.

Industry watcher Campden Publishing says some of the most pressing environmental issues in the Asia Pacific region involve responsible environmental management.

Effective waste cleanup and environmental protection, VOC (volatile organic compound) restrictions and the need to develop waterbased, high-solid powder paints are some of the key challenges for Asian paint producers, says managing director John Learmonth.

'Responsible care for the paint industry will no longer remain the domain of American and European players. Awareness of environmental issues is not as advanced in Asia as it is in the west, but it will be growing very quickly,' Learmonth predicts.

Indeed, one of the most debated topics at the meeting focuses on the amount of lead in paints. Berger International group technical director Mark Chapman argues that alternatives to lead-containing coatings should be introduced quickly. He notes that only legislation appears to affect the pace of replacing lead-containing paints. However, he urges producers to look beyond immediate cost savings and to recognise the costs involved if they fail to make the switch quickly.

'The increased cost of lead-free paints that can be applied now is only a tiny fraction of what the costs of removal may be in the years to come,' he says.

In the US - where lead paints are no longer allowed - he notes that the high cost of repainting projects previously painted with lead-containing coatings are exacerbated by expensive procedures required to remove the original coatings, as well as costly disposal.

Chapman also applauds Singapore's decision to recognise the need to move away from the use of red lead primers. Singapore has formed an alliance with local quality enforcer, the Productivity and Standards Board, to introduce a national standard to replace red lead paints in a tropical climate.

Japan is lauded as the leader among the few Asian countries that have taken concrete steps to promote the reduction of lead in paint. Members of the Japan Paint Manufacturers Association (JPMA) reaffirmed their commitment to promoting lead reduction in paint by pledging to reduce the use of lead in paint, albeit on a voluntary basis only.

JPMA senior advisor Nobuhiro Kurano says the organisation is investigating the feasibility of substituting lead paints in 12 major segments, including the automobile, marine and architectural segments.

To achieve its goals, the organisation is actively promoting technological improvements and further research, Kurano said.

ICI Paints (India) vice-president Param Bhargava made an appeal for major industry players - multinational corporations, in particular - to follow the trend. 'We cannot adopt the same answers for all countries, but we must look at increasing awareness through education as far as possible,' Bhargava says. ICI's role in this is evident from its specification that there should not be lead in consumer or decorative paints, he says.

However, this contentious issue evoked opposing responses from delegates from other countries.

'Lead is presently used so extensively - in pigments, as anticorrosive agents, as a siccative, and in irradiation-inhibiting applications. Alternatives may also not meet the high level of quality of lead-chromate pigments,' says one delegate. 'But it is perhaps most important to see if it will be commercially viable to substitute the lead in paints.

Petcharat Eksangkul of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) says the issue should not be to completely eradicate the use of lead. Instead, she urges delegates to study how it can be used in a safe and effective manner. Calling lead 'a necessary evil', she says its harmful effects can be minimised though its responsible use.

Berger's Chapman also notes the difficulty in tying down paint suppliers to formulate a consistent standard of paint so that the end-user can compare paints that are similar in performance. 'Certain companies will put in 1% of anticorrosive pigment and call it a "zinc phosphate primer", whereas BS 5493 recommends that for an alkyd zinc phosphate, 40% of the pigmentation must be zinc phosphate,' he says.

INDUSTRY players are also preparing to take bigger steps to protect people who may be exposed to hazardous materials in paint. Major Asian producers are beginning to recognise the importance of providing information on hazardous materials which can help prevent people who handle these materials from ill effects.

In Japan, the JPMA has established its own material safety data sheet (MSDS) guideline for paint and coatings. The MSDS, which advises users on the safe handling of chemicals, complies strictly with existing Japanese laws and regulations and is therefore useful in the Japanese paint market, JPMA's Kurano says. It is likely Asian industry players will work towards a harmonised MSDS guideline within the next few years, he says.

Kurano also reiterates Japan's leadership role in the arena of responsible care. In Japan, four of the leading paint manufacturers - Kansai Paint, Nippon Paint, Dainippon Paint and NOF Corp - are now members of the Japan Responsible Care Council (JRCC).

These companies abide by the Coatings Care Programme, and have proposed their own voluntary plans to the JRCC to manage their businesses in accordance with the Japan Paint Industry Association. He says the programme will place greater emphasis on product stewardship against chemical process safety and site emergency response.

Indian and Thai delegates acknowledge that there is less emphasis on responsible care in their respective countries. Nevertheless, they stress efforts have also been taken to protect the environment.

'Eco friendliness has not been so important in the past, but under the government's instruction, powder coatings has been growing rapidly in the last 10-15 years to keep the environment safe,' Indian Paint Association secretary Manab Chaudhuri says.

In Thailand, Petcharat says the government and private sector are aggressively pushing the industry to take steps to become more environmentally friendly - with positive result. 'Some Thai paint manufacturers have already acquired ISO 9000 certification and are striving for ISO 14000 certification in order to receive tax benefits,' Petcharat says. She also points to an increase in the awareness of lower VOC and waterborne coatings.

These gel with efforts by the FTI to promote safe chemical use, she says. These programmes aim to increase awareness among industrialists by emphasising areas such as chemical risk assessment and management, safety handling for hazardous chemicals, and crisis control during the transport of hazardous and flammable chemicals.

Delegates now look forward to the next Asian meeting, to be held in India later this year. 'The meetings are important because they act as a forum where we can discuss issues specific to our industry, and where industry leaders can learn more about each country's problems,' says Singapore Paint Manufacturer Association secretary Wang Chyang.

'The paint industry is so closely related; we need to know the developments in the region, what technology needs to be developed and how we can standardise our requirements,' Wang explains.

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