AkzoNobel Repurposes Industrial Residues into SustainableFloor Coatings

AkzoNobel Brazil is using industrial residues as a more sustainable raw material for its paint production. Nearly a third of the total residues generated when treating industrial wastewater at the Mauá plant in São Paulo are used to produce Coral Pinta Piso floor paint. This not only helps eliminate landfills, but also helps preserve natural resources.

Industrial residues are the waste products that result from the treatment of industrial wastewater. Currently, about 30% of the residues treated at Mauá (without domestic or biological sewage) are used to formulate the Coral Pinta Piso range of paints. After a quality control process, any residues that are not suitable for use in the products are converted into briquettes for energy recovery.

“This is a fantastic initiative that will play an important role in helping us reach our goal of 100% circular materials in our own operations by 2030,” said Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel’s Director of Sustainability. "In 2024 alone, the program will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 272 tonnes, equivalent to the emissions of nearly 400 cars in a year." "

While the law allows for the treatment and discharge of liquid wastewater from factories into waterways, AkzoNobel has invested in treatment plants in recent years to enable 100% of treated water to be reused in processes and products.

Coral Pinta Piso is suitable for use in high-traffic areas, both indoors and outdoors. In addition to Brazil, the product is sold in several countries including Bolivia, Paraguay and Suriname.

The Mauá plant is uniquely located within a large tract of Brazilian rainforest known as the Tangará Reserve. Since 2007, the company has been restoring 70 hectares of the reserve to native woodland to protect the fragile ecosystem.