WASHINGTON—The Sherwin-Williams Company recently announced it has been awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.
The award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on behalf of the White House, recognizes Sherwin-Williams’ innovative new paint formulation, utilizing soybean oil and recycled plastic bottles in the substantial reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Chris Connor, chairman and CEO of The Sherwin-Williams Company says, "We are pleased that the White House and EPA have recognized our very talented R&D team that's committed to innovation and sustainability. Incorporating simple ingredients like soybean oil and recycled plastic bottles into a first of its kind powerful paint formula provides a winning, transformational combination for our customers and the environment."
Sherwin-Williams is being recognized in the Designing Greener Chemicals category for Water-Based Acrylic Alkyd Technology (WBAAT). Oil-based "alkyd" paints have high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that can become air pollutants as the paint dries. But now the Sherwin-Williams R&D Innovation Excellence team has developed water-based acrylic alkyd paint, made from soybean oil and recycled plastic bottles.
In 2010, the new environmentally friendly Sherwin-Williams paint formula, found in ProClassic Waterbased Acrylic Alkyd, ProMar 200 Waterbased Acrylic Alkyd and ProIndustrial Waterborne Enamel has eliminated 800,000 pounds of VOCs.
In manufacturing the new paint formula, Sherwin-Williams has used 320,000 pounds of soybean oil, 250,000 pounds of PET and eliminated 1,000 barrels of oil. The continued evolution and expansion of the Sherwin-Williams technology has the potential to eliminate millions of pounds of VOC emissions while supporting the recycling of millions of pounds of PET each year.
"EPA congratulates this year's winners for designing and developing innovative green chemistry technologies that will result in safer chemicals for use in products, homes, schools and workplaces," says Steve Owens, EPA's assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention.
An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute selected the 2011 winners from scores of nominated technologies.