July 1st was a day that subverted the development of the paint industry. On the same day, Beijing and Shenzhen simultaneously enforced the "oil ban". The replacement of the old with the new is the law of the market, and "removing oil and advancing water" is doomed to be inevitable.
The trend has been determined, but there is still a long way to go. Industry insiders pointed out that there are still many fields where water-based paint cannot replace oil paint, and there is still a long way to go for the full use of water-based paint in China. The promulgation of this "oil ban" in Beijing not only makes water-based paint rise rapidly, but also forces the furniture industry to transform.
Policies accelerate the "correction" of water-based paint
The implementation of the "oil ban" is the inevitable fate of oil-based paint, because it touches the nerves of energy conservation and environmental protection.
Organic compounds are one of the main sources of air pollutants. According to data released by the China Coatings Industry Association, the total amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere by China's paint and coating industry is about 4.3 million tons each year, of which oil-based paint accounts for about 98% and water-based paint accounts for about 2%.
In recent years, the country has taken strong measures to control environmental pollution, and policies and regulations have given preference to water-based paints. This year, the Environmental Protection Law ushered in its first major revision in 25 years and was officially implemented on January 1. This is known as the most stringent environmental protection standard in history, and the sword is aimed directly at air governance. In this context, oil-based paint has become the target of public criticism due to its high pollution and high emissions.
On January 26. the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued the "Notice on the Collection of Consumption Tax on Batteries and Paints", and imposed a 4% consumption tax on paints with a volatile organic compound (VOCs) content greater than 420g/L under construction.
At the same time, consumers' awareness of environmental protection has gradually improved. Water-based paint is a paint that does not contain organic solvents. It does not contain benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, free TDI toxic heavy metals, is non-toxic, has no irritating odor, is harmless to the human body, and does not pollute the environment. The energy-saving and environmentally friendly water-based paint industry is ushering in unprecedented development opportunities. Water-based paint will no longer be a "supporting role", and paints that span a century of history will eventually fade out of the historical stage.
There is a long way to go in the future
The trend is inevitable, but how far is it?
Coatings are divided into architectural coatings and industrial coatings. Architectural coatings account for 30%-40% of the market share, and industrial coatings account for 60%-70% of the market share. Compared with architectural coatings, industrial coatings have high technological content, high production thresholds, and a wide range of applications. There is a huge demand for coating of industrial products, including ships, trains, cars, containers, home appliances, construction machinery, castings, etc., but most of the above industries are still using paint. With the continuous improvement of environmental protection requirements, paint coating will gradually be replaced by water paint. However, the current share of water paint in industrial coatings is less than 10%. Conservative estimates show that in the next 3-5 years, the share of water-based industrial paint is expected to reach 30%. Internationally, water-based paints have already reached a market share of 70%-80%. In some developed countries, it has even reached 90%, and the future development space of the domestic water paint market is very large.
Although water-based paint is better than traditional paint in terms of environmental performance, in terms of physical properties, water-based paint products have defects such as difficult construction, water resistance, easy peeling, poor fullness, and poor hardness. At the same time, because water-based paint has stricter requirements on technology and production processes, the cost is also high. The reporter interviewed industry experts and said that the overall construction costs of the two are gradually approaching, and price is not a factor that troubles the development of the industry. However, in the future, water-based paint manufacturers will need to make technical innovations in the performance of water-based paint to overcome the defects of water-based paint itself.
Forcing the furniture industry to transform
As the architectural paint market, which accounts for more than 1/3 of the total market volume, interior and exterior wall paints alone account for a large share. The use of water-based paints in interior decoration has been basically popularized. However, waterproof paints, floor paints, exterior wall paints, furniture paints, etc., which are closely related to construction, are still the "world" of paints. According to industry insiders, currently less than 15% of furniture manufacturers in the industry use water-based paints.
The "Emission Standards for Air Pollutants in the Wood Furniture Manufacturing Industry" officially implemented in Beijing on July 1 is undoubtedly a reshuffle for the furniture industry. From using oil-based paint to water-based paint, production lines and products must be completely replaced, and those that do not meet the standards will be withdrawn from the market.
In addition, it is reported that the "Clean Production Evaluation Index System Furniture Industry" drafted by the Beijing Furniture Industry Association will also be released. As the first normative document for clean production in the furniture industry, it will lead enterprises to implement clean production, transformation and upgrading, and set a new milestone for the development of the industry.
