Sustainability is the future

Novacolor, a boutique colour company that has always been committed to environmental sustainability, is the first company ever in Italy and the first high-end decoration segment company worldwide to obtain REDcert² certification, an important industrial sector certificate awarded to companies that invest significantly in sustainable raw materials.

Founded in 2010 by German agricultural and biomass organizations to promote and certify the sustainability of biomass and biofuels, REDcert GmbH now responsible for the leading European sustainability certification scheme, and, through REDcert², certifies the sustainable use of agricultural raw materials and biomass in industrial and craft materials.
The REDcert scheme is applicable to all operators in the value chain, and, in the decoration industry, Novacolor is the first ever manufacturer to obtain such an important recognition, achieved through its firm commitment to protect both final consumers and its workers, who are guaranteed to work only with materials that respect their health. REDcert² thus represents a important next step along the path to ever greater sustainability that Novacolor started three years ago, with the progressive replacement of resins from non-renewable sources.

The new Mass Balance production system, certified by REDcert², was created through the partnership with the German chemical production company BASF, a company at the forefront of innovation and research into environmental protection. The system sees the replacement of fossil-derived materials with renewable resource materials derived from biomass.
The sustainable biomasses used by Novacolor are made up of biological materials from waste that removes nothing from the nutritional chain of humans and animals. The use of such materials, modified through various processes to obtain both fuels and electricity, is a novelty in the production of decorative paints and varnishes, which allows consumers to make choices to change their buying habits in favour of environmentally friendly materials, without sacrificing quality. The environmental benefits are considerable, from a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, deriving from a decrease in the consumption of fossil resources, to the recovery and re-use of waste otherwise destined for landfill or incineration. Using Novacolor products therefore allows consumers to actively participate in the virtuous selection of more environmentally friendly products.

With the goal of combining the aesthetics of decorative products with the most advanced technologies in the chemical sector, Novacolor, through the Mass Balance and REDcert² certification process, has thus developed a series of products that maintain the highest quality standards without impacting the environment. Among these products are splendid decorative coatings with opulent, reflective metallic effects, such as Dune, Dune Opaco, Africa and Texi, and textured metallic effects, such as Swahili, Swahili Opaco and Luce_Wall Painting. There is also Antiche Patine - Patina Minerale, the new silicate-based interior and exterior colour wash product, Puro_titanium & VOC Free, the carbon footprint reducing opaque interior mineral paint, and R-Stone, the stone and aged patina effect decorative finish.

​​​​​​​High quality standards and sustainable production are the two cornerstones with which Novacolor projects itself into the future, not only to orient itself towards protecting the environment, but with a pioneering, broader mission to allow consumers to change their buying habits in favour of greener materials, and to lead a viable path forward for other companies wishing to change approach in the production of decorative paints and varnishes.
At the end of November, the company from Forlì, Italy, is also set to achieve ISO 14001 certification regarding its management systems for monitoring environmental impacts and systematically and consistently improving sustainability.