By Crystal Morrison, The ChemQuest Group, Inc.
Understanding the forces shaping the paints and coatings industry requires looking beyond short-term market fluctuations to the larger societal and technological trends that influence innovation and demand. While economic cycles, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical shifts affect the industry in the near term, long-term megatrends continue to guide the direction of coatings technology, investment priorities, and strategic decision making.
In a two-part series published in CoatingsTech in 2025, ChemQuest explored the megatrends influencing the coatings industry in North America and globally.1 Those trends remain highly relevant today. However, the economic and market environment in which coatings companies operate has become more complex. Slower growth across several chemical value chains, increasing global competition, and margin pressure are forcing companies to carefully balance cost discipline with continued investment in innovation.
Despite these challenges, the longterm megatrends shaping the coatings industry, including environmental sustainability, health awareness, mobility transformation, digitalization, and demographic change, continue to drive technological progress and market opportunities worldwide.
Environmental Sustainability and the Circular Economy
Environmental sustainability remains the most powerful driver of innovation in the paints and coatings industry. Governments, corporations, and consumers are increasingly demanding products that reduce environmental impact while maintaining or improving performance. A key concept shaping sustainability initiatives is the circular economy, which emphasizes designing products and materials to minimize waste, extend product lifecycles, and enable recycling or reuse of materials at the end of life.
Bio-Based Raw Materials
One of the most visible sustainability trends in coatings is the increasing use of renewable raw materials. Biobased materials can reduce reliance on fossil resources while lowering the carbon footprint associated with coatings production.
Bio-based coatings can be derived from a wide range of renewable resources, including soybean oil, corn, sugarcane, and algae. Soybean oil has long been used in alkyd resins and remains one of the most widely used renewable feedstocks in coatings formulations.
Advances in bio-based acrylic chemistry and polyurethane precursors are expanding the range of coatings applications that can incorporate renewable materials while maintaining high-performance properties.
Advanced Recycling Technologies
Another emerging area of sustainability innovation is molecular recycling, sometimes referred to as chemical recycling. Unlike mechanical recycling, which can degrade polymer properties over time, molecular recycling breaks down complex materials into their fundamental building blocks, allowing them to be reused as high-quality raw materials.
For coatings manufacturers, these technologies are particularly valuable because they enable recycled materials to meet the stringent purity and performance requirements necessary for specialty applications.
Low-Carbon Coatings Technologies
Coatings manufacturers are investing heavily in technologies that reduce emissions during both manufacturing and application. Powder coatings, waterborne formulations, and high-solids systems continue to gain traction as companies seek to minimize volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and reduce energy consumption.
Recent product launches illustrate the continued innovation in this area. PPG introduced its ENVIROCRON® Extreme Protection Edge Plus powder coating system, designed to provide enhanced corrosion protection and improved edge coverage for metal substrates while supporting lower-VOC finishing processes.
As regulatory pressure and corporate sustainability commitments intensify worldwide, demand for lower-carbon coatings technologies is expected to accelerate.
Health Awareness and Safer Chemistry
Growing awareness of the potential health and environmental impacts of chemicals is another megatrend shaping coatings innovation. Increased regulatory scrutiny, improved scientific understanding of chemical exposure, and greater consumer transparency are driving demand for safer materials and formulations.
One of the most widely discussed examples of this trend is the growing concern surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These materials have historically been used in coatings formulations to provide properties such as stain resistance, water repellency, and durability. However, their environmental persistence and potential health impacts have led to increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Several major chemical companies have announced plans to eliminate PFAS-containing materials from their product portfolios. Companies including 3M, Clariant, and Micro Powders committed to phasing out PFAS from their products by the end of 2025, signaling a broader industry shift toward safer alternatives.
Increasing health and environmental issues are accelerating the development of new additives and formulation strategies designed to deliver similar performance characteristics without the environmental concerns associated with PFAS.
Antimicrobial Coatings
Health awareness has also contributed to growing interest in antimicrobial coatings. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development and adoption of coatings designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms on treated surfaces.
While antimicrobial coatings were initially focused on healthcare environments, their use is expanding into public infrastructure, transportation systems, and consumer products. For example, PPG has introduced antimicrobial powder coatings designed for use in mass-transit vehicles and infrastructure to reduce microbial growth on high-touch surfaces. These coatings are designed to help improve hygiene in environments where large numbers of people interact with shared surfaces.
Industry forecasts suggest that antimicrobial coatings could experience strong growth over the coming years, as demand for hygienic surfaces increases.
Continue reading in the May-June issue of CoatingsTech