Chemistry is painting a new picture for households

Polymers in liquid formulations (PLFs) play a vital role in our lives and are found everywhere – from the paints on our walls to the detergents in our cupboards. However, the way they are made, used and disposed of is unsustainable. We currently rely on oil to make almost all PLFs – almost enough to fill Wembley Stadium 32 times every single year. And while half of a tin of paint is made of PLFs, only 2% of waste paint is currently recycled or reused – the rest is either burned or sent to landfill. Finding ways to replace fossil sources, reuse and recycle PLFs is a priority.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is working with some of the leading chemistry-using companies in the world to put the issue of PLFs on the map and to drive this change. Our Sustainable PLFs task force has set an overarching ambition for the industry: transition to a sustainable PLFs market by 2040.

Achieving this will require a concerted, coordinated effort across the whole innovation ecosystem – from building the fundamental knowledge base, to developing networks for collaboration, investing in research and innovation, and enacting effective policies and regulation. That’s why we have also established a roadmap to 2040 with two critical missions and nine priorities to support this change and foster collaboration, investment and innovation across the system, ultimately painting a new picture for households.