Automotive repair paint manufacturers noted on the 9th that Noroo Paint violated a voluntary agreement it signed with the Ministry of Environment in 2022.
Kangnam Jevisco Co., Ltd., Samhwa Paint Industrial Co., Ltd., Exalta Coating Systems, Joongkwang Paint Co., Ltd., KCC, and PPG Korea released a joint press release stating, "At a meeting held with key manufacturers on Dec. 16, the Ministry of Environment noted that the experimental results of Noroo Paint's "Water Color Plus" paint are highly likely to be used in an oil-based manner in the field," and requested immediate recall action, stating that the mass supply of oil-based resin to sales agents by Noroo Paint was tantamount to facilitating its use as oil-based.
The industry emphasized that Noroo Paint and CRM Co., Ltd. and Union Plus should recover products that are currently illegally and improperly distributed in the market and ban their manufacture and sale.
"Water Color Plus" is a base coat for automotive repair that Noroo Paint released in March last year. At the time of its launch, Noroo Paint promoted Water Color Plus as a water-based paint.
In response to the automotive repair paint industry's voice that Water Color Plus should actually be regarded as oil-based, the Ministry of Environment requested tests to determine its water-solubility from the Korea Institute of Design and Technology (KIDI), Korea Construction and Living Environment Testing Institute (KCL), and Korea Chemical Convergence Test Institute (KTR) in August and September of last year.
The test results showed that when a water-based binder and a dedicated thinner were mixed with Water Color Plus, a color deviation of 13.7 was recorded, and there was a significant color difference.
In contrast, when mixed with oil-based resin and oil-based thinner (product name HQ) manufactured by Noroo Paint, a color deviation of 0.5 was observed. The larger the color deviation value, the lower the reproducibility of the color, leading to the conclusion that to accurately reproduce the color, it should be used as oil-based rather than water-based.
When the color deviation of the paint is 0.5, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content recorded was 766 g/L, which is 3.8 times the standard set by the Air Quality Conservation Act (200 g/L).
The industry believes that Noroo Paint has been recommending the use of oil-based resin and oil-based thinner when supplying Water Color Plus to sales agents.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment requested during the meeting that Noroo Paint fully recall Water Color Plus, which is deemed oil-based, as per Article 8 of the voluntary agreement. The ministry also issued a strong warning against Union Plus and CRM Co., Ltd., which are known to manufacture and sell oil-based colorants and oil-based resins in the market under illegal means.
Automotive repair paint manufacturers criticized the illegal and improper distribution of oil-based paints for automotive repair, stating that it seriously disrupts market order. They explained that manufacturers and sales agents that faithfully comply with the law are suffering losses while certain manufacturers and sales agents are taking advantage of loopholes in the law and the difficulty of enforcement.
An industry official stated, "The sales of oil-based base coats by certain companies in the automotive repair market have been proven," adding, "As a result of this finding, Noroo Paint is not free from the greenwashing controversy."
He continued, "While Noroo Paint engages in illegal and improper actions behind the scenes, it promotes itself as the only company in the paint manufacturing industry to receive an integrated grade of A in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management assessments," adding, "It's not Noroo Paint, it's NO RULE Paint."
The automotive repair paint industry plans to actively cooperate with the Ministry of Environment to eradicate illegal and improper distribution not only of Water Color Plus but also of other oil-based products.
In response, Noroo Paint announced on that day that it plans to invite officials from paint manufacturing companies for self-inspection under the same conditions experimented by the Ministry of Environment from the 20th to the 24th.
In a press release, Noroo Paint stated, "The mere presence of industrial oil-based paints at automotive repair agents is not a problem, but the moment these paints transition to automotive maintenance shops, it becomes illegal." Noroo Paint is conducting a step-by-step confirmation process for agents wishing to supply industrial paints to prevent the issue of industrial paints being distributed through automotive repair agents.
Noroo Paint operates three water-based brands for automotive repair: Sikkens, Water Q, and Water Color Plus. The company actively invests in equipment, human resources, and product research, claiming there is no reason to act against the expansion of the water-based market.
A representative from Noroo Paint stated, "If issues arise regarding the distribution of industrial products through paint agents into the automotive maintenance market, we will immediately stop supplying the paint to that agent," adding, "We confirm the actual demand sources after receiving a commitment letter from agents requesting under-the-table distribution."