What Makes a Coating Green? Green Coatings: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Coating Standards

This reference document defines and substantiates the characteristics that qualify an architectural or industrial coating as "green" — that is, environmentally sustainable, non-hazardous, and conducive to human health. Compiled by Global ENCASEMENT, Inc., and supported by citations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), ASTM International, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and peer-reviewed scientific literature, this guide serves as both a practitioner checklist and a publicly citable authoritative reference. Twelve discrete qualification criteria are examined across two categories: (1) core green chemistry attributes and (2) long-term performance and sustainability attributes. Each criterion is defined, contextualized within current regulatory frameworks, and supported with numbered citations linked directly to primary sources.