The topic of biomass balance and CO2 balance is becoming increasingly urgent for industry, not least in view of forthcoming regulations in the EU. In the coating and surface technology sector, too, companies have long had to deal with such balances and develop solutions. BASF, a major coatings manufacturer, is now intensifying its efforts in this area. The first batch of the ColorBrite Airspace Blue ReSource basecoat went to a customer in China, who expects it to reduce its carbon footprint by about 20 percent. The level of savings from the coating system is being verified by an independent sustainability consultant. Part of BASF's ColorBrite biomass-balanced waterborne coatings portfolio, ColorBrite ReSource provides a lower carbon footprint without changing the formulation and performance of the product, according to the manufacturer.
The coatings manufacturer also received biomass balance certification for its resin plant in Caojing, as well as for its coatings production sites in Minhang and Caojing, which are operated by BASF Shanghai Coatings Co, Ltd. This certification enables BASF to offer customers in China a comprehensive range of biomass-balanced automotive coatings using materials from renewable resources. "Replacing fossil raw materials with renewable raw materials through BASF's biomass balance approach illustrates our promise to help our customers achieve their CO2 emission targets while maintaining high product quality and performance. The certification of our sites in China for the biomass balance approach underscores our commitment as an industry leader in promoting sustainability and innovation. We look forward to working with more automotive manufacturers in China and contributing together to a resource-efficient and carbon-neutral future," said Jack Zou, vice president, Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF.
In BASF's biomass balance approach, renewable raw materials are already used in the production of basic chemical products. The proportion of renewable raw materials is then mathematically allocated to specific sales products using a certified mass balance method. REDcert² is a certification system for the sustainable use of biomass that confirms that BASF has replaced the quantities of fossil resources required for the biomass-balanced product sold with renewable raw materials. Overall, biomass-balanced and appropriately certified coating systems can be a step in the direction of advancing the sustainability and resource conservation of surface processes and preparing for the upcoming regulations in Europe in this regard.