China's green product standard for coatings in force

China’s new national green product standard for coatings, released last December, came into force on July 1.

It was issued with 12 other such standards that mainly cover construction materials, such as:

• wood-based panels and wooden floors;
• ceramic tiles; and
• construction glass.

The standards aim to create a unified system for assessing green products.

A green product is defined under the standard as a "high-quality product that is harmless or less harmful for ecological environment and human health, less resource and energy-consuming and meets environmental protection requirements in the total lifecycle".

The standards are issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and Standardisation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC).

The coatings standard sets out the terms and methods for assessing materials as green products and applies to:

• waterborne;
• inorganic powder;
• radiation curable;
• high solid; and
• solvent-free coating materials.

It is not applicable to those for waterproofing.

It also sets out a list of banned and restricted hazardous substances that should not intentionally be added to coatings, including:

• benzene 100mg/kg limit;
• formaldehyde 100mg/kg;
• phthalates 100mg/kg (each compound); and
• azo dyes 50mg/kg (each compound).

Currently there is no uniform logo for the green products, but manufacturers with compliant coatings can apply for green product certification.

The newly established State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) is responsible for market inspection and checking claims.

Source: Chemical Watch