Decorating homes and businesses comes with a big environmental price tag. Farrow & Ball’s Gareth Hayfield talks us through a sector desperately trying to move beyond PFAS and carbon emissions.
Paint is more than just colour, it’s chemistry. From the pigments that give it depth to the binders that help it adhere and provide protection for years; paint manufacturing is inherently reliant on a variety of different chemical processes. But this reliance comes at an environmental cost.
The manufacturing process of these chemicals and the paint itself is carbon-intensive, and if not carefully controlled, some of the substances used in paint production can leach into soil and water, harming ecosystems and entering the food chain.
With the UK decorative paint industry currently valued at £1.9 billion, the sector now faces mounting pressure to align with national and global decarbonisation goals. The challenge is clear: how does an industry which is built on complex chemical formulations work towards upcoming decarbonisation targets?
The environmental burden of paint
While some may claim to make ‘eco-friendly’ paint, the reality is that it cannot truly exist, as all paint can have a considerable cost to ecosystems. Paint carries a significant carbon footprint, with approximately 70% of a paint manufacturer’s emissions stemming from the raw materials used, many of which are chemical compounds sourced from carbon-intensive supply chains.
Microplastics, commonly found in binders and additives, can filter into the environment and contribute to marine pollution. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), released during application and drying, degrade indoor air quality, while also playing a role in the formation of smog.
Solvents and “forever chemicals” like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – which are valued for their durability – are persistent in the environment, having been found in the blood of humans and animals. The chemicals don’t break down for generations, posing long-term risks to biodiversity and human health.
Taken together, these substances can have a negative effect that extends beyond the immediate environment, threatening food safety, contaminating water sources, and potentially affecting the health of future generations
Regulatory pressure and industry response
The regulatory landscape surrounding paint manufacturing is shifting rapidly, with new UK and EU restrictions targeting harmful substances like PFAS. These changes will mean that manufacturers will need to reassess their formulations and production methods. Meeting these new standards will be no small feat; it demands substantial investment in research and development, as well as adjustments across the full supply chain.
Stricter regulations may lead to increased production costs, a narrowing of product ranges where PFAS chemicals are heavily used, as well as evolving consumer knowledge expectations around chemicals and their negative effects. At the same time, global scrutiny of green claims is intensifying.
A recent $1.5 million settlement in the U.S. against Rust-Oleum for misleading “non-toxic” and “earth-friendly” labels on its Krud Kutter products underscores the legal and reputational risks of vague or unsubstantiated sustainability claims. Transparency is no longer optional; it’s a regulatory and consumer imperative.
However, these challenges also present a valuable opportunity. Regulation, when embraced proactively, can serve as a powerful driver of innovation, encouraging the adoption of cleaner technologies and more transparent sourcing practices. The industry must view compliance not as a hurdle, but as a springboard for meaningful transformation.
Pathways to decarbonisation
Decarbonising the paint industry will take a comprehensive and multi-layered approach throughout the whole supply chain. Firstly, innovation in raw materials is essential, with manufacturers exploring bio-based and recycled binders, low-impact pigments, and alternatives to petrochemical-derived ingredients. At Farrow & Ball, we led the industry by becoming the first paint company to transition entirely to water-based paints in 2010.
By 2015, we had also eliminated petrochemical solvents like white spirit from our formulations, with all our emulsions achieving the lowest possible trace VOC ratings. We’re continually reassessing how we can reduce our impact while creating the highest quality of paint. This includes collaborating closely with our raw material suppliers to drive innovation, aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Equally important is supplier engagement, encouraging upstream partners to adopt sustainable practices and provide transparent emissions data. Paint companies that outsource their paint must work closely with their suppliers, giving them the tools needed to reduce their impact. We have also carried out a thorough audit, testing our paints to ensure that there is no PFAS intentionally added, either by us or our suppliers or at levels of current detection.
Waste and packaging reduction must be prioritised through circular systems that address leftover paint, packaging, and production by-products. Farrow & Ball operate on a zero-waste-to-landfill model at our Dorset-based factory, with 100% liquid waste treated and recycled back into the water grid, and by-products being reused or sent to a third party for recycling into other materials.
Finally, and most crucially, the industry must tackle its Scope 3 emissions, those indirect emissions across the value chain, which often represent the largest share of a manufacturer’s carbon footprint. Without proper targets in place to ensure scope 3 emissions are being tackled, the paint industry will not meet upcoming decarbonisation targets.
A sector-wide call to action
Decarbonising the paint industry cannot be achieved by individual brands acting in silos: it demands a sector-wide and supply chain collaboration. We must create a space for sharing best practices, aligning sustainability goals, and investing in joint innovation; these are all essential steps to accelerate progress.
Upcoming UK and EU regulations will act as a level playing field to ensure the paint industry meets the minimum requirements of sustainability reporting and compliance and curb greenwashing. At Farrow & Ball, we welcome these regulations and have been actively working to align our targets with them. We encourage other businesses to do the same.
Ultimately, the paint industry must embed sustainability into its core operations, from product design, packaging and its business models. Decarbonisation should not be treated as a compliance exercise, which can be bolted onto a strategy, but as a long-term commitment to the environment.
Gareth Hayfield is Head of R&D at Farrow & Ball.
Image: David Pisnoy / Unsplash
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