AkzoNobel is the only major global supplier of powder coatings to have the quality of its products verified by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
The international EPD system reveals the environmental performance of a product throughout its lifecycle, enabling customers to better understand a product's sustainable qualities and ultimately make more informed product selections.
The EPD system looks at all ingredients and process steps in the making of a product, and measures the impact on the environment. For example, if a wax is made in Thailand and exported to Sweden for inclusion in a product, it scores less well than a wax made locally in Sweden, as a result of the CO2 generated by its transport. Similarly, if a material contains a high amount of solvent, its impact on the ozone layer will be higher than for a solvent-free product.
Having first undertaken the complex process in 2015, AkzoNobel was the first global powder coatings supplier to obtain the declaration. The renewed EPD for its Interpon D range of architectural powder coatings (D1000, D2000 and D3000) lasts until 2023. The results show an improvement on the previous score and highlights various factors that are contributing to lower environmental impact, including a reduction in both waste and energy usage.
"In retail markets nowadays it's almost unthinkable that a retail product would not have its origin and ingredients printed on the packaging" said powders' Architectural Segment Manager, Jean-Paul Moonen, "yet in industrial goods it is still a novel concept to ask about the provenance of the ingredients. Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are a first step on the way to changing this."
Among a plethora of green and eco-labels which are not independently controlled, EPDs stand out as a trusted benchmark. The factors to be included, and how to measure them, are controlled by an international ISO standard, and so are comparable from country to country, region to region and between different suppliers. Third-party verified EPDs are the gold standard, as they prevent manufacturers from making false claims. There are several recognition schemes, with LEED being among the leading ones. Using products with an EPD gives LEED credits, and more credits lead to higher LEED ratings (from Bronze to Platinum).
"EPDs are increasingly requested in the construction industry, as architects and building owners want their projects to be recognized as environmentally-friendly" continued Moonen. "Powder is an inherently sustainable product, as it contains no VOCs, but this is another step in offering our customers sustainable coatings solutions, so I'm very proud of this EPD certification for our Interpon D series."
AkzoNobel supplies powder coatings to more than 30,000 customers worldwide, covering several market segments. The company's products are used on buildings and landmarks around the world, including La Sagrada Família (Barcelona, Spain); the Shard (London, UK); and the Water Cube (Beijing, China).