Corporate Responsibility Report 2012 - Hempel

environment:
Reducing vOC emissions
At Hempel, we give careful consideration to vOC emissions during product development to
ensure that the concentrations used in our products do not lead to unnecessary emissions.
Our coatings protect man-made structures from corrosion. This extends the structure’s product lifecycle,
helping reduce the structure’s overall environmental impact. However, coatings use chemicals that can
be damaging to the environment. Our Health, Safety and environmental policy requires that we focus on
sustainable technologies when developing new products, so both we and our customers can continue to
improve environmental performance.
Working actively to reduce VOC emissions
vOCs (volatile Organic Compounds) make up the liquid part of solvent-borne paints. After application,
the liquid evaporates to leave a dry painted surface. However, during this evaporation process, vOCs are
released into the atmosphere. In large concentrations, some vOCs are harmful to human health and
damaging to the environment and, as a result, many countries limit the maximum concentration of vOC
in different products.
We focus on developing coating solutions that reduce the amount of vOC used. In 2012, we gave
particular focus to reducing the level of vOC in our products for the marine segment. As a result of this
work, we managed to bring down the average amount of vOC in our marine coatings from 451 grams per
litre sold in 2011 to 420 grams per litre sold in 2012, a reduction of 7 per cent.
This work will continue to have an impact in 2013 and beyond. In total, we introduced 11 new marine
products during 2012, with an average vOC content of 188 grams per litre. These products will have an
impact on the amount of vOC per litre sold in the next 1-3 years, when they have been established on the
market and constitute a greater volume of the coatings we sell each year.
Average contents of VOC (g/l)
The diagram shows the average amount of vOC in our products by segment (Decorative is not included here as the vast majority
of decorative coatings are waterborne). Yacht, like marine, saw a decrease in vOC per litre sold in 2012, and this should continue
in 2013 as new products become established on the market. The vOC per litre sold remained level in our Protective range in 2012.
However, we introduced a number of new Protective products during the year, with an average vOC content of 271 grams per litre,
and we expect these products will have a signifi cant impact as they become established on the market in the coming years.
* In Container, we introduced a fully waterborne coating system in 2010 called EcoBoxcoat. However, the container industry has
been shrinking over the last couple of years and the market has remained reluctant to switch to a new technology in an uncertain
economic climate.
442 442 271 451 420 188 542 542 434 412 308
VOC per litre sold 2011
VOC per litre sold 2012
Average VOC content
of products introduced
in 2012
Protective
Marine Container* Yacht
18