1. GPP Training toolkit 7.6. Paints, Varnishes and Road Markings
Module aims: To present the European Commission GPP criteria for Paints, Varnishes and Road Markings, introduce the key environmental impacts of the product group, the availability and verification of green alternatives, and also non-procurement strategies for reducing environmental impacts in daily operations.
This document forms part of the EU GPP Training Toolkit. The full toolkit can be found on the European Commission GPP website:

2. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
GPP Training Toolkit
Module 1: Introduction
Module 4: Needs Assessment
Module 2: Strategic Aspects of GPP
Module 5: Circular Procurement
Module 3: Legal Aspects of GPP
Module 6: Market Engagement
Module 7: Operational (Paints, Varnishes and Road markings)
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

3. Environmental impacts
How do these products impact the environment?
Key environmental impacts:
Dispersion of contaminants and emission of VOCs
Toxic waste during production and disposal
GHG emissions and climate change during production
Waste caused by unused product
Impacts of paints, varnished and road markings depend on:
Product durability
Paint main component
What are the critical environmental impacts of paints, varnishes and road markings? The criteria focus on the most significant ones.
Evidence from life cycle assessments suggests that the “hot spots” of environmental impacts are:
Dispersion of contaminants and emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during production and use, which reduce indoor and outdoor air quality:
Sulphur emissions (SO2) during production of titanium dioxide (TiO2) used as white pigment
VOC and VAH (solvents) which are contained in wall paints, etc.
Toxic waste during production and disposal which increase water pollution
Sulphates and chlorine
hazardous waste of by-products during titanium dioxide production
Heavy metals such as lead (Pb), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) (e.g. in glass beads)
GHG emissions generated by the production of paint and by the manufacture of the formulation raw materials (solvents, binders and TiO2)
Waste caused by unused product
Impacts of paints, varnishes and road markings depend on their performance during application and in use. The worse these products perform, the more paint will be needed to cover a surface, and the higher number of repaints that will necessary within a set time frame, thereby increasing the overall amount of paint required and its production-related environmental impacts. Impacts of paints also depend on their main component: solvent based paints have a higher environmental impact than water based paints.
(*) Saif, Samia, et al. "Calculation and Estimation of the Carbon Footprint of Paint Industry." Nature Environment and Pollution Technology 14.3 (2015): 633.
(**) European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Development of the EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) Criteria for Paints, Varnishes and Road Markings. Technical Report with final criteria (2018)
t(CO2)e emitted globally by the paint industry(*)
900,000 tonnes of unused paint wasted every year(**)
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

4. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
Scope
What is included in the EU GPP criteria?
Products
Paints and varnishes
Floor paints
Products which are tinted by distributors
Tinting systems
Decorative paints in liquid or paste formulas
Road marking
Paint or structural plastic systems composed of pigmented road marking material and glass bead.
Preformed road marking products: Primers and adhesives
Which products and services do these GPP criteria apply to?
The product group comprises two different subsets of products:
Paints and varnishes
Road markings
The subset 'paints and varnishes' (also called 'paints') includes indoor and outdoor paints and varnishes, woodstains and related products, intended for use by professional users (not industrial uses). Decorative paints in liquid or paste formulas such as wood paints, wood and decking stains, masonry coatings, metal finishes primers and undercoats are also included.
The subset ‘road makings' means products such as paint or structural plastic systems which are applied to road surfaces in order to delineate traffic lanes, bays and signals, as well as to provide frictional properties and night time retroreflection in dry, wet and rain conditions. They are generally composed of a pigmented road marking material and glass beads which, together, may or may not form a film over the substrate. Pre-formed road marking products defined as tape, preformed cold plastic road marking or preformed thermoplastic road marking with or without drop-on materials are also included in the scope. Primers and adhesives needed for application of the road marking material are also included. 
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

5. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
Needs Assessment
Choosing the right kind of paints, varnishes and road marking
Three key questions:
in case of renovations, has the state of the surface to be painted been checked?
in road maintenance works was the visibility of road signs assessed?
are there critical issues for the safety of citizens?
Rethinking need
Implementing frequent maintenance programs on buildings and roads can avoid the use of large quantities of paints and varnishes
How will the paints or varnishes be used? Are these aspects related to the cost along the life cycle considered?
- cost per litre of paint;
- spreading rate to meet performance criteria;
- time between repaints to maintain performance criteria;
- expected losses due to wastage;
disposal costs of waste paint.
Could a service contract meet your needs/avoid environmental impacts more effectively?
More information in: Module 4: Needs Assessment
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

6. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
Overview
EU GPP Paints and road makings approach
Promote durable paints and road markings
Minimise the impact of production by addressing specific ingredients and dosage
Control the amount of VOC present in the paint
Encouraging manufactures to use alternatives whenever possible
Introducing restrictions on use of certain chemicals/chemicals function groups and regarding hazardous classification of the final product
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

7. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
EU GPP Criteria
Paints and road markings (2018)
Examples for painting works contracts:
Selection criteria (SC) – tenderer’s professional competencies in the areas relevant to the nature of the contract (e.g. ability to use paint on-site efficiently)
Technical specifications (TS) – products to be used during the contracted programme should meet the criteria set for paints and varnishes (e.g., a certain white pigment and volatile organic compound content)
Award criteria (AC) – extra points according to the reduced estimated volume of paint used during the contracted programme
Contract performance clauses (CPC) – records of the quantity of paint purchased and used in fulfilling the contract specifications to be provided by the contractor.
For each subsets of products and works contracts EU GPP criteria are divided into:
Selection criteria – used to assess the ability of an operator to perform a contract. Can only include criteria specifically related to the subject matter of the contract. (Painting works contracts example - the tenderers need to demonstrate the professional competencies listed in the EU GPP criteria, which are all related to the areas relevant to the nature of the contract – such as the ability of the contractor to use paint on-site efficiently and apply environmentally improved products and durable finishes)
Technical specifications – used to set minimum requirements that must be met by all tenders. Must relate to the characteristics of the work, supply or service being purchased. (Painting works contracts example - painting work contracts shall be performed using paint products with a certain white pigment and volatile organic compound content as specified in the technical specification set for paints and varnishes)
Award criteria – used to stimulate additional environmental performance, but are not mandatory. (Painting works contracts example - points shall be awarded according to the estimated volume of paint used while maintaining the quality of the painted surface during the life-time of the contract) 
Contract performance clauses – specify how a contract must be carried out. Relevant to service contracts. (Painting works contracts example - the contractor shall provide records of the quantity of paint purchased and used in fulfilling the contract specifications, as well as for the waste and unused paint arisings.
For each set of criteria there are two levels of ambition:
Core – designed to allow easy application of GPP, focussing on the key area(s) of environmental performance of a product and aimed at keeping administrative costs for companies to a minimum
(Paints vanishes example: white pigment content per m2 of dry film equal to or lower than: 38 g/m2 for indoor paint and 40 g/m2 for outdoor paints)
Comprehensive – take into account more aspects or higher levels of environmental performance, for use by authorities that want to go further in supporting environmental and innovation goals.
(Paints vanishes example: white pigment content per m2 of dry film equal to or lower than: 36 g/m2 for indoor paint and 38 g/m2 for outdoor paints)
EU GPP Criteria for Paints, Varnishes and Road Markings:
For full criteria see: EU GPP Criteria for Paints, varnishes and road markings
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

8. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
Verification
Checking compliance with GPP criteria for paints, varnished and road markings
What to ask for?
When?
Test reports
Ecolabels
Technical documentation
Self-declarations
References related to previous relevant works contracts
Third-party verified documentation
Recycled content tracing system
Compliance with GPP criteria needs to be assessed both at the time of selection of best offer and during the contract execution phase
For test reports, public authority can decide at which stage the documents should be provided
Verification systems are product-specific. They include different requirements and may consist in the submission of existing documentation that the supplier has at their disposal and of specific documentation to be produced to prove compliance with an environmental requirement.
In the case of paints, varnishes and road markings, both types of documentation need to be asked for to ensure compliance with the EU GPP criteria. For many criteria the compliance can be checked by asking the suppliers to provide product test reports conducted in accordance with the specified test methodologies.
Each criterion has its corresponding verification that must always be included in the tender documentation.
Procurers should also make clear what needs to be verified during the evaluation and selection stage and what needs to be verified during contract execution. In the case of test reports, it is up to the public authority to decide at which stage such test results should be provided. In general, it does not seem necessary to require all tenderers to provide test results from the outset. To reduce the burden on tenderers and public authorities, a self-declaration could be considered to be sufficient when submitting bids
Tenderers should always be allowed to provide verification based on equipment holding the EU Ecolabel or another relevant Type I Ecolabel I (according to ISO 14024) fulfilling the same specified requirements.
EU GPP Criteria for Paints, Varnishes and Road Markings:
For full verification instructions see:
EU GPP Criteria for Paints, varnishes and road markings
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

9. Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings
Market Availability
How to identify sustainable products
The EU Ecolabel can be used to check compliance with some GPP criteria, such as:
TS1.1: White pigment content
TS1.2: Content of Volatile Organic Compounds
TS1.3: Product hazard labelling
Sept – products awarded EU Ecolabel!
Ecolabels are not all the same!
Some ecolabels are more valuable than others – procurers should choose “Type I” ecolabels (i.e., verified by a third party and awarded on the basis of life cycle impacts)
See Module 3 (Legal) for more on ecolabels
Best way to check the market availability of “green” options is to start from the availability of certified products.
The EU Ecolabel for paints and varnishes products can be accepted as means of verification for the following GPP Criteria:
TS1.1: White pigment content
Paints shall have a white pigment content (white inorganic pigments with a refractive index higher than 1,8) per m2 of dry film equal to or lower than:
 38 g/m2 for indoor paints, with the exception of indoor wall paints claiming Class 1 wet scrub resistance (WSR) for which 40 g/m2 shall apply;
 40 g/m2 for all outdoor paints.
TS1.2: Content of Volatile Organic Compounds
The maximum content of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) shall not exceed the limits (g/l ) below:
- Interior matt walls and ceilings : 15
- Interior glossy walls and ceilings : 60
- Exterior walls of mineral substrate : 30
Etc.
TS1.3: Product hazard labelling
The final product shall not be classified as being acutely toxic, a specific target organ toxicant, carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, hazardous to the environment, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation) (indicated in Table 3).
Furthermore, for award criteria “2. Glass beads – Recycled glass content”, the GPP Criteria includes the verification with third-party verified documentation, according to the methodology prescribed in ISO 14021, for the recycled content.
More on EU Ecolabel licensed suppliers:
More on EU Ecolabel licensed suppliers: EU Ecolabel for paints and varnishes Products
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

10. Relevant EU legislation
Legislation affecting the paints production sector
Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU - Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Large Volume Organic Chemicals
Paints Directive 2004/42/EC
Dangerous Substances Directive (DSD) 67/548/EEC
REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2009
There are several examples of EU legislation relevant for the paints production sector. The inclusion of EU GPP criteria in the procurement process ensures compliance with (and application of) the environmental provisions included in the following relevant sectoral EU directives and regulations:
Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU - Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Large Volume Organic Chemicals
Paints Directive 2004/42/EC: it specifies the types of paint that can be used within Europe, ensuring paints containing heavy metals or high VOC contents are not used. Some Member States have themselves set more stringent measures, again relating to these factors
Dangerous Substances Directive (DSD) 67/548/EEC: it applies to chemicals and mixtures of chemicals, and provides a list of the classes of substances or preparations that are considered to be dangerous.
REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2009
More information on:
Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document:
REACH Candidate List for SVHCs:
More information in:
Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document
REACH Candidate List for SVHCs
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings

11. Case studies
GPP Helpdesk For further support on GPP, contact the EU’s free Helpdesk
Ireland Makes Sustainable Furniture Purchasing Work
(Irish Government, Ireland)
Ireland Makes Sustainable Furniture Purchasing Work
(Irish Government, Ireland):
Toolkit developed for the European Commission by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Module Author: Fondazione Ecosistemi
Owner, Editor: European Commission, DG Environment, 2019
Photos: courtesy of Pixabay.com under Creative Commons CCO
Disclaimer: This toolkit is an indicative document of the Commission services and cannot be considered binding to this institution in any way. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of the information in this document.
Module 7.6 – Paints, varnishes and road markings