¿Cómo alinear los desarrollos del sector de pinturas y recubrimientos con las políticas europeas sobre seguridad y sostenibilidad?

Synopsis

A major challenge for the chemical industry is to develop products that do not pose risks to human health or the environment. In sectors such as additives, pigments, paints or coatings, this is even more important, because some of the substances commonly used in these products have recently raised concerns. Examples are the use of titanium dioxide in paints, or the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) in coatings. In order to try to reduce or eliminate their presence in new products, the European Union has promoted different initiatives: the European Green Pact, the European Sustainable Chemicals Strategy or the framework on Safety and Sustainability by Design (SSbD) are some of the actions that must currently be considered in innovation and development processes of new products so that the industry advances in line with European objectives and applicable legal requirements. Considering safety and sustainability from early stages in formulation and development allows guiding the industry in achieving new products that are more viable alternatives. This is made possible through the implementation of different steps defined by the EU together with the JRC (Joint Research Centre) in the framework of SSbD.