Crown Paints, the largest independent decorative coatings manufacturer in the UK and Ireland, launched its 2009 Sustainability Report yesterday (August 12).

The report highlights the achievements of Crown Paint’s earthbalance strategy from the past year, and its targets for the next twelve months.

Sustainability manager at Crown Paints, Mark Lloyd, said: “We have a responsibility to reduce any negative impact we have on the world around us.

“We are investing ever more funding and resources into innovation in this area, including the formulation of a hand-picked team to look at the issues from every conceivable angle.

“We’re already seeing the results of our efforts – but we know there is still much to do and more improvements to be made.

“We are, however, delighted with the strides we have taken and look forward to implementing the many new and exciting ideas that are already in the pipeline.”

Highlights from the report include:

Reduced consumption of solvents by 26% through the use of low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) formulations;

Successfully shortening the distance travelled by its delivery fleet by 406,000 miles over the course of the year.

The implementation of a ‘can-back’ scheme, which turns used paint tins and containers into reusable objects such as street furniture.

Crown’s future sustainability targets include:

A new range , called earthbalance, which Crown says reduces the impact of carbon-intensive raw materials while maintaining excellent performance properties;

Reducing packaging waste by 15% by 2012, and a commitment to targets agreed with the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

A partnership with Orange RockCorps, a pro-social production company that uses music to inspire individuals and groups to volunteer and get involved in their community.

Luke Walsh

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