Recent policies related to coatings

    Summary: CCM summaries relevant policies involving coating industry issued recently.   

    On 6 May, 2021, Wuhan Ecological Environment Bureau, Hubei Province revealed the Letter to Enterprises Involving Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Wuhan to Positively Implement Control and Prevention of Ozone Pollution. This Letter advocates that related enterprises purchase environmental coatings, stagger production time, enhance terminal treatment and reduce VOCs emissions to maintain a sound air environment. Meanwhile, enterprises should firstly purchase and use qualified products that meet the standards like Technical Requirement for Low Volatile Organic Compound Content Coating Products (GB/T38597-2020) and Limit of Harmful Substances of Architectural Wall Coatings (GB18582-2020). For example, enterprises can adopt automatic and intelligent spraying devices and choose powder, waterborne, high solid coatings and other coatings or cleaners and adhesives with low content of VOCs so as to decrease VOCs emissions from the source.   

    In mid-April, Zhejiang Province issued the 14^th Five-Year Development Plan, which mentions that the coating industry should continue to focus on the development of environmentally friendly coatings such as waterborne coatings, high solid coatings, UV-curable coatings and powder coatings while limit or phase out outdated coatings like oil-based coatings and coatings with high content of heavy metal and VOCs. The coating industry should vigorously develop antifouling marine coatings, antirust container and steel structure coatings, high-performance powder coatings and other functional coatings for special purposes.   

    On 24 March, 2021 China Coating Convention was held in Chuzhou City, Anhui Province. During the conference, the Vice president of China National Coating Industry Association delivered the 14^th Five-Year Development Plan for Coating Industry in China. Specifically, the coating industry policies, regulations and standards development plans during the 14^th Five-Year Plan period include the following contents:   

    
•       1. Study of industrial coating VOCs emission features and prevention measures;     
    
•       2. Study of replacement of leaded coatings;     
    
•       3. Revision of environmental protection lists concerning coatings;     
    
•       4. Policy research of hazardous waste management in coating industry;     
    
•       5. Improvement of green manufacturing system for coating industry;     
    
•       6. Establishment of a green supply chain for the upstream and downstream industries of coatings;     
    
•       7. Cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to improve the green design product standard system     
    
•       8. Promotion of green industrial park construction and relocation of enterprises.