Thursday, October 16, 2025
“With our products, we contribute to a sustainable construction industry.”- ADLER.
The global coatings industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by increasingly stringent environmental regulations and a growing consumer demand for products that support a healthier planet and living environment. At the forefront of this shift is ADLER, a leading manufacturer that is actively redefining coating chemistry by prioritising sustainability, transparency, and high performance.
Rainer Troppmair, Head of Development for Window and Architectural Coatings at ADLER, emphasises that for the coatings sector, the crucial pivot point is the solvent. Traditional solvent-based coatings often contain over 50% petroleum-based solvents. This reliance on fossil fuels is problematic on two fronts: it consumes finite resources during production and releases significant Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere upon application. These VOCs contribute to air pollution and climate change.
ADLER has countered this linear, resource-intensive model by championing water-based coatings. Their portfolio’s share of water-based products is now nearing 70% and continues to climb. This is a deliberate, customer-focused strategy aimed at making the transition to a sustainable alternative as simple and appealing as possible. The environmental benefit is clear: ADLER’s water-based coatings typically contain a mere 2–5% VOCs, and many products—including certain wall paints, wood stains, and the Bluefin Unistar furniture varnish—are entirely solvent-free.
The Terra difference
While minimising VOCs is a significant step, ADLER’s true innovation lies in its Terra line, a collection of products that take sustainability to the next level by integrating bio-based raw materials. This is where ADLER moves beyond simply changing the solvent base and fundamentally alters the product’s primary components. The key to this advance lies in the binder, the component responsible for holding the paint together and forming a protective film. Historically, binders have been derived from petroleum. In contrast, the Terra line replaces this fossil-based ingredient with binders created from biomass, such as agricultural waste. This substitution has a tangible ecological impact; for instance, using a 9-liter container of Aviva Terra Ultra-White wall paint can save an estimated three liters of petroleum.
The comprehensive Terra range spans numerous applications, demonstrating that ecological formulas can meet professional demands across the construction and joinery trades:
Interior and exterior wood: Pullex Aqua-Terra (oil/wood stain), Lignovit Terra-Lasur (glaze), and the brand-new Lignovit Terra-Colour (opaque finish).
Despite the shift in composition, all Terra products maintain the familiar, high quality and surface characteristics that customers expect from ADLER, featuring an extremely low VOC content ranging from 0 to 5%.
True sustainability in coatings requires a holistic perspective—a view that extends beyond the product itself to encompass the entire lifecycle of the coated component. Rainer Troppmair highlights that durability is, paradoxically, a critical aspect of green design.
Extended component lifespan: A quality coating, sometimes including precisely dosed biocidal agents, protects wood from pests like algae and wood-destroying fungi. While the use of biocides may seem counterintuitive to a “green” philosophy, it significantly extends the lifespan of costly components like windows. A window that lasts decades longer means less frequent replacement, which translates to a drastic reduction in material consumption, resource use, energy expenditure, and waste generation. ADLER ensures that any active ingredients used, particularly in window systems, are locked within the primer layer and sealed by the topcoat, effectively preventing their evaporation into the indoor or outdoor environment.
Ultimately, the coating is a relatively small, yet vital, element of the entire construction or furniture piece. ADLER’s strategy is to guarantee a high sustainability standard for the coating, thereby enabling the entire coated object to achieve a better overall ecological footprint. The Terra line proves that high-performance, quality coatings and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive, but rather the foundation of future construction and design.
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Tags: Bio-Based Coatings, circular economy, green construction, Water-Based Paint, Wood Preservation, Wood Stain
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