OCCA

The coatings industry continues to face ever-increasing legislative pressure, driven by concerns surrounding health, the environment, and product safety.  While well-intended and usually necessary, it can have unintended consequences and restrict long-established products, introducing novel challenges for formulators.  Recent case studies include microplastics in seed coatings, biocide labelling, Titanium dioxide classification, and PFAS.  This fast-paced regulatory landscape requires inventive formulating to deliver solutions and high-quality products to customers.  The industry constantly evolves and roles surrounding regulation are more critical than ever.  This evolution also means that there is an increasing requirement for collaborations between industry and academia to negotiate these regulatory constraints. This paper aims to highlight formulating challenges using recent examples driven by regulatory changes.

Consistent colour delivery in coatings plays a critical role in customer satisfaction, perceived quality, production efficiency, and overall brand strength. Robust colour management practices enable paint and coatings manufacturers to achieve reliable colour consistency across all touchpoints, improving efficiency, fostering customer confidence and cohesion in brand representation. This presentation examines approaches to standardizing colour throughout the entire value chain—from manufacturing and quality control to digital channels such as e-commerce—and highlights practical methods for facilitating effective, end-to-end colour management.