International. A recent assessment of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) concentration limits for architectural coating regulations reveals that the Canadian paint and coating industry has significantly reduced low-level emissions over the past four years.
The study was conducted to evaluate performance, four years after the regulations went into effect. "We were very pleased that the VOC testing confirmed that the industry met expectations regarding the requirements set out in the VOC standards for the paints and coatings industry," said Gary Leroux, President and CEO of CPCA (Canadian Paints and Coatings Association).
Four indicators were used to evaluate the performance of VOC regulations for architectural coatings: the percentage of products that meet regulatory standards; market availability of the lowest VOC products before and after regulations; reduction of VOC emissions for the sector before and after regulations; and Canada's overall performance in VOC reduction and alignment with other jurisdictions, particularly in North America.
Testing was conducted by Environment Canada's accredited laboratories for the top 10 categories of architectural coatings under the VOC Regulations. The top 46 architectural paint manufacturing companies were confidentially surveyed for detailed information. Ten of the companies that responded were in the Top 12, accounting for 75% of the market size in Canada. "It was clear that a detailed qualitative study and random sampling of paint products sold by large manufacturers increased the credibility of the study," LeRoux said.
Total PAINT VOC emissions dropped to 16 kilotons in 2014 from 57 kilotons in 2005, representing a decrease in emissions of 41 kilotons. This represents a 73.6% reduction in VOC emissions from emissions forecast for 2014. "From any point this is a success for the industry and demonstrates that the paints and coatings industry in Canada has met the standards set by the regulations and in fact far exceeded the government's own expectations," LeRoux said.
