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From sustainable growth to circular breakthroughs

We nurture strong partnerships across the industry and make sustainability our starting point to help ensure long-term, holistic growth for all. We’re constantly striving to embed circularity in future applications right from the beginning of the production process to help you harness the next circular breakthroughs.

At Covestro, our goal is to embed circular economic principles and to be a pioneer for the coating and adhesives industry. This means we increasingly set ourselves some of the toughest sustainability goals in our industry, not only because we have to, but also because we want to.

Mathias Matner

Head of Sustainability & Advocacy CA

Challenge: going all out for circularity

On a planet of finite resources, the “take-make-waste” principle of the linear economy has to come to an end. This is why we are dedicated to opening new ways into tomorrow’s circular economy through diverse measures and collaborations along the value chain: by using alternative raw materials in our own production, by embracing the use of greener energy, and by developing materials that can be recycled more easily.

Reaching full circularity, however, is especially challenging when it comes to coatings, inks, and adhesives. For decades, high-performance paints and coatings were almost always solventborne, with a carbon base coming exclusively from fossil resources. And once applied, the materials themselves cannot usually be recycled. This makes it even more important to lower their ecological impact as far as possible, and to turn them into enablers for new, highly sustainable technologies.

Status: From more renewable materials to recycling  

Materials that keep up performance and minimize carbon footprints

Breakthrough material innovations have proven that there is a path beyond fossil-based coatings. A first step was the introduction of waterborne paints, using water as a solvent instead of oil. Following this, we were able to replace considerable parts of the fossil carbon content with carbon sourced from biomass, or by replacing them with plant-based materials without making compromises in terms of functionality or aesthetic appeal. 

Today, we’re proud to have developed a portfolio of solutions that support circularity and climate neutrality – illuminating a smarter path forward for our industry. Containing at least 25% non-fossil raw materials, Covestro CQ (“circular intelligence”) solutions contribute to a circular economy. Across the automotive, furniture, and other industries, these products are already supporting our customers in their quest for more sustainable solutions.

Plus, we go one step further by offering mass-balanced-certified solutions for selected products. Mass balancing is a chain-of-custody approach that lets  you attribute alternative raw materials to offer more sustainable solutions, while continuing to work with your existing infrastructure and assets. In this way, it can help you start reducing your carbon footprint without making technical modifications – a key step toward a more sustainable coatings and adhesives industry.

Giving coatings a second life

And our efforts don’t stop at the end of a coating’s lifetime. We’re also aiming to make recycling a cornerstone of a circular future for coatings and adhesives, starting with the printing and packaging industry. That’s why we’re working to develop new technologies and innovations that can promote both mechanical and chemical recycling. Resin barrier coatings for paper are just one example of how we are boosting product recyclability and helping our partners find their place in the circular economy.

Key drivers for the status next of circular economy

  • Replacing fossil resources

    Replacing fossil resources

    The coatings and adhesives industry can’t fully dispense with fossil resources and other conventional raw materials – yet. But the higher the share of alternative raw materials available, the more sustainable products will become in the future.

  • Remembering that less is more

    Remembering that less is more

    The best action for a high-tech material provider is to maximize the efficiency of limited resources in production and final products. Coatings and adhesives are crucial in achieving this goal by simplifying the design of packaging and other items.

  • Teaming up to tackle upcoming trends

    Teaming up to tackle upcoming trends

    Consumers are becoming more conscious regarding the sustainability of the products and services they use. Players throughout the value chain need to listen closely to those needs and ideas, and team up with each other to meet the challenges lying ahead of us.

Next: Ambitious goals to meet

We have set our sights high for the future: net-zero emissions from our own production and purchased energy by 2035; more alternative raw materials and more renewable energies in the long term. Working with our partners, we’re aiming to make our entire portfolio available in climate-neutral versions. Along the way, we will leverage all our R&D capabilities to establish and further develop circularity – helping to close the loop in the coatings and adhesives industry.

Webinars

  • Webinar

    We will be fully circular

    How to shift toward a circular economy in the coatings and adhesives industry. 

  • Webinar

    Solutions for printing and packaging delivering on sustainability

    With the acquisition of DSM’s Resins and Functional Materials business, we’re complementing our portfolio for adhesives, preparation coatings, inks, and top-coat resins with relevant chemistries for all packaging substrates.

  • Webinar

    How barrier coating resins help to create a better environment

    Barrier resins offer a recyclable alternative to LDPE coatings. Our multifunctional resins are easy to formulate and resistant to water (WVTR & COBB*), grease, oil, and moisture. 

  • Webinar

    Enabling circularity: Monomaterials in flexible packaging

    In line with the growing need for monomaterial solutions that retain functional performance, we offer a portfolio of coating resins paving the way to flexible packaging that gets the job done and can be recycled more easily.

Stories and case studies

  • Story

    Sustainable solutions

    Discovering the potential of more sustainable automotive coating solutions for enhanced productivity and a circular economy

  • Case study

    CO₂ impact mitigation

    Using the mass balance approach, we partnered with H.B. Fuller to create a bio-attributed adhesive product.

  • Case study

    ICA Group

    Sustainable furniture protection with Bayhydur® CQ

  • Story

    Sustainable inspiration

    Consumers and governments drive demand for more sustainable solutions. Covestro is here to help you meet their demands.

  • Story

    Heat-resistant coating

    Heat-resistant-coating- for mono PE stand-up pouches with BOPE (biaxially oriented polyethylene) mono material film paves the way for high speed packaging and design for recyclability. 

  • Story

    Uradil® FP-9300

    Uradil® FP-9300: recyclability, heat sealability, and alcohol resistance for BOPP flexible packaging

  • Case study

    Wearable smart patches

    Baymedix® and Platilon® from Covestro support the in making wearable medical sensors more comfortable.

  • Story

    Not all polymers are microplastics

    Not all polymers are microplastics – How high performance of cosmetic products goes together with environmental compatibility

Connections

  • Connections

    Circularity in everyday life

    How coatings realize their full potential in terms of protection, aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, and environmental compatibility for the wooden furniture in our homes.

  • Connections

    Circularity meets packaging

    Develop coatings and adhesives that help establish cleaner alternatives, to enable more circular solutions for a livable future for us and generations to come.

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