Interpon Powder Coatings, the premier coatings brand owned by AkzoNobel, has been awarded SMaRT certification. The first coatings manufacturer to be certified, AkzoNobel Powder Coatings attained platinum status.
An Acronym for Sustainable Materials Rating Technology, SMaRT is the major external standard for product sustainability. It’s a carefully considered global certification that evaluates sustainability performance over a product’s life cycle and supply chain. It can apply to any product, from any industry, but products receiving SMaRT certification have openly documented their performance over a number of sustainability indicators ranging from minimizing the use of natural resources, to reducing waste and carbon footprint.
“This is something we are really very proud of” explained Jaap van den Akker, Manager Sustainability & HSE, AkzoNobel Powder Coatings. “Interpon powder coatings benefit from world class innovation and sustainable innovation is no different. Powder Coatings are recognised as an environmentally friendly coating option due to amongst other things, low VOCs and the ability to reclaim and recycle them. Being the first powder coatings manufacturer to achieve this certification proves we really are global leaders.”
Companies achieving SMaRT accreditation must complete a thorough application process, enter into a legally binding contract certifying that the data submitted is accurate and prove that qualified professionals were used. A third party audit is also required and applicants must also renew and verify certification every three years in order to stay current with environmental trends.
“It’s a continuous process” continues Van den Akker, “we are working closely with all our stakeholders towards a sustainable future - we want Interpon powder coatings to be as sustainable as possible. We are constantly sourcing more sustainable and renewable raw materials and energy resources from our suppliers and focusing significant R&D efforts on reducing the ecological footprint at every stage of the process. Our ecological performance has been recognized as among the very best in the coatings industry and we use ecological efficiency analyses (EEA’s) to reconfirm for both ourselves and our customers, that powder is a sustainable coatings material.”