ICI Paints AkzoNobel Shortlisted for Sustainability Awards
ICI Paints AkzoNobel is celebrating after being shortlisted for not one, but two, prestigious sustainability awards this autumn.
The industry-leading paint manufacturer is in the running for the Green Business Awards' Green Product accolade, and for the coveted Sustainable Manufacturer award at the UK Green Building Council's (UK GBC) Making Sustainable Development Happen Awards.
ICI Paints AkzoNobel has received recognition for its commitment to systematically and dramatically improving its performance across the whole sustainability spectrum through its stringent, company-wide sustainability policy, Step Towards Greener. It joins like-minded companies such as InterfaceFLOR, Kingspan Insulation and Lafarge Readymix as a finalist at the UK GBC Awards. The company has been commended for making sustainability improvements that are honest, measurable and tangible, and for working to reduce the whole-life footprint of the decorating process, contributing to sustainable built environments and minimising the impacts of its own operations.
Dulux Trade has also made the Green Business Awards shortlist for the second year in a row, this year with Ecosure Matt Light & Space. As a finalist in the Green Product category in 2008 with its Ecosure range, Dulux Trade has upped the stakes this year with Ecosure Matt Light & Space, its most sustainable paint product to date.
Dulux Trade Light & Space brand manager, Carolyn Mayne, explains: "In Ecosure Matt Light & Space, we have created a solution unparalleled in sustainability. Originally developed with leading independent charity Forum for the Future, Ecosure Matt has 35 per cent less embodied carbon, virtually zero VOC content (1), and its paint cans comprise at least 25 per cent recycled materials. By combining this with the energy saving potential of the Light & Space colour range, Ecosure Matt Light & Space cements our position as the leading, environmentally-aware provider of sustainable paint."
Light & Space is an intelligent, energy saving colour range that makes a room look and feel lighter, brighter and more spacious. Using a combination of unique Lumitec(TM) technology, optimised tinting recipes and a range of high Light Reflectance Value (LRV) colours, Light & Space products reflect rather than absorb light, resulting in significant energy cost savings versus a conventional emulsion in a similar colour -up to 22 per cent on average. Lights can also be switched on up to twenty minutes later every day, all of which equates to turning off one in every five 60W filament bulbs (2).
Ian Bradshaw, Dulux Trade Head of Marketing and Sustainability, concludes: "November is set to be an exciting month for the company. The Green Business Awards take place on 3rd November, followed by the UK GBC Awards on the 24th. It's fantastic to know that all the work we are undertaking in the sustainability realm is not only making a difference, but is being acknowledged as such, and we're proud that we continue to break new ground in areas from ecological NPD to sustainability reporting and company-wide knowledge transfer."
Ends
1. PBW, Magnolia, the L&S colour range and some light colours. The bases have minimum 29% solvent content reduction.
2. The energy savings will not always equate to 20 per cent. They will vary depending on the contents, dimensions and floor colour of the room and will differ if lighting in particular areas needs to be controlled. The calculated figure varies from 14 per cent to 28 per cent depending on the wall colour chosen. The actual light energy savings achieved in practice may differ from the calculations.
Press enquiries to:
Katie Burbidge at Tangerine PR
Email: katie.burbidge@tangerinepr.com
Tel: 0161 817 6600
Notes to editors:
For more information visit http://www.duluxtrade.co.uk.
ICI Paints AkzoNobel is the world's leading decorative coatings company and number one in the world for decorative paints and performance coatings. Its portfolio includes market-leading brands such as Cuprinol
Trade, Dulux Trade, Glidden Trade, Hammerite, Polycell Trade, and Sikkens.
ICI Paints AkzoNobel is continuously working to develop new and differentiated products and services to meet customer needs, and is the leader in environmental sustainability. Experts in colour with an unrivalled colour range, the company ultimately offers specifiers, contractors and decorators the support they need to do a great job.
The company's leadership in formulation science, combined with its commitment to improve the environmental footprint of its products throughout their life cycles is the perfect combination for the journey 'Step Towards Greener'. Although decorative coatings contribute less than two per cent of the total amount of VOCs emitted in the UK, ICI Paints AkzoNobel is at the forefront of implementing the new regulations regarding VOCs which will come into force in 2010.