With Strengthened Environmental Regulation Barriers... Paint Industry Accelerates Development of Eco-Friendly Products

Samhwa and Dongguk CM Develop Eco-Friendly Steel Sheet Coating
KCC Partners with LG Chem to Develop Eco-Friendly Materials

As environmental regulations worldwide are being strengthened, centered on the European Union (EU), the paint industry is accelerating the development of eco-friendly products. This is because eco-friendly coatings must be used not only for direct exports but also for major export items such as steel.

According to the paint industry on the 28th, inquiries about eco-friendly coatings have been steadily increasing, especially among export companies this year. The EU plans to fully implement the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) starting in 2026. This system imposes costs on imported products into the EU that have higher carbon emissions than domestic products.

Photo of Dongguk CM's Re-Born Green Color Steel Sheet product, certified with Environmental Claim Validation (ECV). Provided by Dongguk CM

The system will first apply to six items: steel, aluminum, fertilizer, cement, electricity, and hydrogen. Exported products that do not meet the standards will be required to purchase certificates corresponding to the amount of carbon emitted. Accordingly, the domestic paint industry is increasing research and development (R&D) related to eco-friendliness and moving quickly.

For example, recently, Samhwa Paint Industrial developed a coating agent for PCM (color steel sheets) chemically recycled from waste plastic and obtained the 'ECV 2809 Recycled Content' certification from UL, a U.S. safety standards certification body. This is the first in the paint industry. UL, along with the U.S. USDA, is one of the world's leading quality and safety certification organizations for paints.

Previously, Samhwa Paint collaborated with Dongkuk CM to jointly conduct R&D on eco-friendly materials applied to home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines with the common goal of carbon reduction. Dongkuk CM expects that obtaining this certification will enhance export market competitiveness amid changes in the steel trade environment, such as the spread of protectionism, and is negotiating the application of color steel sheets to LG Electronics' home appliances.

KCC and Noroo Paint are also focusing on developing eco-friendly products. In KCC's case, it has partnered with LG Chem to conduct R&D on eco-friendly materials and coating technologies. The two companies plan to apply microbial fermentation-based eco-friendly raw materials to coating resin synthesis and focus on research to use these coatings in automotive, industrial, and mobile sectors.

Additionally, the number of products certified with environmental labels by KCC is expanding every year, reaching 111 as of October this year. The environmental label certification is a nationally accredited eco-friendly certification system granted to products recognized for environmental improvement effects, enhanced resource circulation, and reduction of harmful substances.

As of November 27, Noroo Paint has 294 products certified for eco-friendliness. Among these, 21 products have received the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bio-based material certification. The USDA certification is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote sustainable development and environmental protection, requiring products to apply biomass raw materials above a certain standard. In August, Noroo Paint also obtained the 'ISCC PLUS' eco-friendly certification, which verifies sustainability and low-carbon product manufacturing systems throughout all processes from raw material procurement to production and sales based on the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

Meanwhile, according to the global market research firm 'Spherical Insights,' the eco-friendly coatings market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.9% from $135.2 billion (185.22 trillion KRW) in 2022 to $209.8 billion (287.42 trillion KRW) by 2032.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.