Plant-based Wood Coatings

Why plant-based coatings

We support our customers with solutions that enable:

• Reduced fossil fuel dependence and lower carbon footprint through the use of renewable raw materials
• Low VOC coatings enabled by advanced water-based and UV technologies
• Regulatory compliance with no intentionally added substances of concern
• Circular resource use through certified Mass Balance processes
• Proven performance and seamless integration into existing production lines

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What this means for you

Choosing Sherwin‑Williams plant‑based wood coatings enables you to achieve measurable sustainability benefits while maintaining production performance.

With our solutions, you can:

• Advance your sustainability and ESG objectives
• Reduce your carbon footprint with renewable content coatings
• Maintain consistent, high‑quality finishes for industrial wood applications
• Transition easily with no changes to your existing production processes

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Try our CO₂ calculator to see how much you can save!

Use our carbon footprint calculator to understand how using waterbased plant-based wood coatings can reduce your carbon footprint potential today.

LCA data available for your projects

We provide Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data to help evaluate environmental impact across the full lifecycle of industrial coatings.

This allows you to measure and reduce carbon footprint, meet regulatory and sustainability requirements and improve transparency in reporting.

How Mass Balance works

The Mass Balance approach is a certified method to integrate renewable and circular raw materials while maintaining quality.

Process overview:

1. Raw material mixing - Plant‑based, circular, and fossil‑based inputs are combined during production

2. Certified traceability - Materials are tracked through the supply chain via ISCC PLUS certification

3. Sustainable allocation - Renewable content is allocated to final coating products

This approach enables manufacturers to transition toward more sustainable coatings without the need to reformulate existing processes. It also supports responsible sourcing and circular economy practices, while ensuring consistent performance and reliable application standards across industrial wood coating processes.