Future green chemistry and sustainability needs in polymeric coatings

Polymeric coatings play a critical role in a diverse range of products used in virtually every facet of our society, including infrastructure, architecture, automotives and transportation, food packaging, electronics and health care. They confer numerous sustainability benefits to society by extending the lifetime of products, reducing maintenance efforts and/or protecting our health and well-being. Although the past few decades have witnessed a significant shift away from solvent-based coatings to more environmentally benign water-based coatings, solvent-based systems remain prominent in some applications. Water-based coatings also face sustainability challenges that need to be addressed in the next decade. This Perspective identifies and discusses priority areas for future research in green chemistry and sustainability. In addition to technical issues, the influences of regulatory, policy and public awareness issues are highlighted.