Environmental Awareness and the Future of Antifouling Paint

Photo Credit: Arno Gasteiger - National Geographic

Global environmental regulations are tightening with an emphasis on eliminating ozone-depleting and ocean-warming VOCs from solvent-based products, significantly reducing the leeching of destructive biocides into marine environments and minimising end-of-life pollution.

Traditional anti-foul paints and their associated primers, tie coats and undercoats contain up to 70% solvents. Solvent-generated VOCs evaporate into the atmosphere as soon as the product is applied. Antifouling paints typically discharge their entire biocide content into the marine environment in 12 to 24 months. Regular re-coating with antifouling paint requires their full removal before coating delamination occurs. Removal creates end-of-life toxic waste.

Further tightening of global and national environmental legislation concerning antifouling paint appears inevitable. Regulatory changes have reduced the efficacy of remaining traditional antifouling paints and resulted in the removal of others due to non-compliance. In New Zealand, in 2023, the future use of six major-brand antifouling paints has been prohibited due to biocidal leeching. As non-eroding and solvent-free products, Coppercoat Multi-Season, Commercial and Superyacht Antifoul Coatings are unaffected by current global and national environmental regulations nor are the expected to be affected by increasingly restrictive legislation.

“If it can kill marine organisms, it can kill you too. Sanding antifouling? – Never! I sanded off my antifouling paint. It took weeks and would never do it again”.

Swiss Owners Peterson 44 "Milagros"

Environmental awareness and the future of Antifoul

Article Credit: Jayson Kenny, Aquarias Marine Coatings UK, 2022.