Waste

PPG employee in full PPE surrounded by equipment within facility

PPG recognizes the importance of moving toward a circular economy.

Beyond the environmental benefits, reducing waste and increasing resource efficiency helps lower our costs and supports our continued success. We consider circularity in our product design, use raw materials as efficiently as possible, minimize operational waste and promote reuse and recycling throughout our value chain.

Our waste intensity in 2023 increased by 7% compared to the 2019 baseline. 45% of process waste was either reused, recycled or recovered. While operating sites have continued to implement waste reduction measures, we expect that progress toward our waste goals will not be linear. Extensive cleaning and maintenance processes, which are completed at some of our larger facilities every 2-3 years, result in increased waste output and we expect variability in our waste intensity as a result.

Reduction of total waste intensity

Increase process waste to reuse, recycle and recovery

Annual improvement in spills and releases

Reducing waste in our operations

When setting our 2030 targets, we changed our approach to measuring waste intensity to prioritize the reuse and repurposing of materials in our production processes. We now include any materials sent offsite for recycling in our waste intensity metric. This shift acknowledges that recycling is less efficient than waste elimination, repurposing and reuse and ensures that we're incentivizing desired behavior across our manufacturing and operations functions. Reusing materials that would have otherwise been recycled helps reduce our yield loss and ultimately improves profitability.

While we encourage reuse and repurposing where possible, we also recognize that recycling plays an important role in keeping waste out of landfills. Our goal to drive 100% of process waste to reuse, recycle and recovery supports continuous improvements in the percentage of our waste that is diverted from landfills and other disposal facilities.

Female worker looking at Tikkurila color swatch display

Transforming retail displays with Tikkurila

PPG's Tikkurila brand recently sought to renew its retail store presence with a new display concept that emphasized sustainability. The team piloted the new display concept in select stores in Finland over the course of 2023.

When designing the display concept, the goal was to develop a model using high quality, durable materials that could be used in stores for many years. The new and improved displays consist of 89% renewable materials, and use 100% recovered wood. The display concept also provides value to consumers. It features an interactive lighting system that lets consumers see how their paint will look in different settings, helping them make more accurate color choices.

This new concept helps minimize Tikkurila's waste, while also highlighting its status as a premium Nordic brand. The concept was designed for all countries where Tikkurila is available. The updated displays will be made available across all major stores in Finland over the next three years.

Advancing our circularity approach

PPG supports the circular economy by focusing on every stage of our products' life cycle. We reviewed opportunities to reduce waste from the sourcing of raw materials, through the manufacturing process, to the application and usage of products, and their end-of-life. Throughout 2023, we worked to formalize our circularity approach by understanding how PPG is already contributing to the circular economy and developing a formal circular economy strategy to guide future efforts.

As part of this operational review of our contributions to the circular economy, we identified a need for more granular waste data. We’re working with 25 PPG sites that generate the most waste, developing detailed waste inventories and using root cause analysis to identify opportunities to reduce sources of waste. This effort is aligned to our 2030 ambition to reduce our waste intensity by 25% vs. a 2019 baseline.

Graphic showing PPG's circular economy focus areas

Spills and releases

The median spill in 2023 was 4,802 pounds, with 100% of spills contained onsite. We had six substantial spills during the year, which totaled 16,677 gallons (59,431 liters). Many of these spills have been attributed to issues with mechanical integrity or work instruction practices.

PPG facilities employ management practices to prevent spills and releases, including employee engagement activities, training, spill elimination assessments, operational improvements, self-assessments and best practice sharing.

To reduce the likelihood of spills and releases from mechanical integrity issues, PPG's operations team recently launched initiatives around the use of digital tools and maintenance standard work processes. Digital sensors and in-line monitoring tools are being implemented to predict equipment failure and address these prior to an incident. We are also standardizing maintenance processes across our sites. As part of these initiatives, our team is moving to more proactive maintenance practices. We are already seeing the benefits at locations that these initiatives have been implemented and continue to closely track our performance over time.

We are also engaging PPG employees by leveraging Job Safety Analysis (JSA), a systematic process designed to identify potential hazards and develop improved work practices for carrying out a specific task or job operation. This is one of several tools within our EHS Management System that help address causal factors, such as equipment, process, or people interactions, to prevent future occurrence of spills and releases.

For more information about how we approach waste management and circularity, see below.

Paint circularity with GDB International

As a high-volume paint supplier, fluctuations in customer demand or production volume inevitably cause a portion of our raw materials or paint products to go unused. For more than 20 years, we have partnered with GDB International to help keep these unused materials from going to waste. GDB is a leader in paint recycling that facilitates a sustainable 'cycle' in the paint supply chain by recovering, recycling, and reusing surplus materials, and is also the partner to the ACA PAINTCARE^™ program.

GDB takes materials including pigments, resins, solvents, frozen paint, and even waste/wash water that PPG is unable to recover on site. The company sorts, recovers, and repackages any unused products with their private branding. Over the course of our 20+ year partnership, GDB has processed and recycled more than 3,000 truckloads of PPG product, including 10.1 million gallons of paint across all PPG brands.

Multi-year data highlights

Waste disposal

Thousand metric tons

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	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Waste generated	179.19	188.17	170.15	164.39	194.62
Total waste intensity metric tons per 100 metric tons of production	4.55	4.50	3.84	3.84	4.25
Disposed	99.12	116.70	90.18	89.68	112.49
Disposal intensity metric tons per 100 metric tons of production	2.52	2.79	2.05	2.10	2.46
Waste Recycled	80.07	71.47	79.97	74.71	82.13

_{Disposed waste does not include waste that is recycled, reclaimed or incinerated for energy recovery. Waste generated includes all waste from manufacturing and R&D locations generated as a consequence of the activities involved in the production of our products and services. Data changes from prior reporting reflect adjustments for acquired and divested locations.}

Waste generated / recycled

Non-hazardous waste

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	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Generated thousand metric tons	81.05	100.56	74.03	70.69	81.96
Recycled percent	34%	25%	38%	37%	35%
Disposed thousand metric tons	53.29	75.30	46.26	44.40	52.90

Hazardous waste

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	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Generated thousand metric tons	98.14	87.61	96.12	93.70	112.66
Recycled percent	53%	53%	54%	52%	47%
Disposed thousand metric tons	45.83	41.40	43.91	45.28	59.59

_{Disposed waste includes waste that is sent off site for landfill, incineration without energy recovery and physical/chemical treatment. We report our hazardous waste data using the regulatory framework of each country where we operate. Data changes from prior reporting reflect adjustments for acquired and divested locations.}

Spills and releases rate

Per 1,000 employees

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2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
1.59	1.50	1.28	1.24	1.25

Our approach to waste

Our paints and coatings extend the useable lifespan of products across industries, improve the performance of existing products, and refresh them so they can remain in use for many years. In this way, waste reduction is inherent to our purpose to protect and beautify the world. We also work to reduce waste from our operations as part of our wider environmental performance management.

Improving resource efficiency

Our focus on operational efficiency reduces our waste footprint, resulting in both environmental and financial benefits. PPG minimizes the quantity of raw materials and resources such as water and energy needed to produce our products. This is done by assuring our processes and equipment are properly maintained and operated to run efficiently. Material losses are minimized by minimizing equipment cleaning, eliminating spills and releases and implementing quality management systems to avoid off-specification products. PPG also recovers and reuses waste material on-site when possible. This includes operating recovery units to reuse solvent and water in our processes for cleaning and production. We also explore off-site recovery and reuse options for materials that cannot be used on-site.

PPG acquires raw materials from suppliers and our manufacturing process converts these materials into finished products. These products are then transported to customers in the construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation industries. Typical waste streams resulting from these activities include process waste from equipment cleaning, substandard product, by-products and packaging.

We track waste produced at our facilities around the world, and manage each waste stream according to internal and legal standards. Waste that is shipped off-site for disposal and recovery is reported into a central data system, allowing us to monitor performance, identify areas for improvement and share best practices.

Our global waste stewardship process covers all waste contractors that provide waste treatment, storage, disposal or recycling services. These contractors are rigorously evaluated through our waste auditing process, ensuring alignment to regulatory and PPG waste handling requirements. Once approved, we apply our commercial requirements and communicate the status to our sites.

Facility management works to reduce or eliminate waste streams one source at a time. We prioritize waste reduction work based on criteria that include hazard profile, volume and cost. For anything that cannot be reduced by increasing our efficiency, we search for options to reuse and recycle materials. We also drive waste reductions beyond manufacturing, including focusing on product formulation and raw material management.

We foster partnerships with organizations focused on circularity and waste reduction, including the PAINTCARE™ program in the U.S., ProductCare in Canada, the ECO-PEINTURE™ non-profit in Quebec, and PaintBack in Australia, all of which allow consumers to recycle leftover or unwanted paint. We are exploring additional paint recycling opportunities globally where available.

Avoiding spills and releases

We recognize that even small spills can lead to environmental impacts, and risk exposing our business to clean-up costs, future liabilities and reputational risks. Our facilities have management practices in place to prevent spills and releases.

Our corporate spill elimination standard requires each facility to establish a spill elimination program and assess program performance each year. The program consists of an assessment of the facility's past performance and prioritized risks. Our environmental health and safety (EHS) management system requires that each of our sites assesses its environmental performance on an annual basis. PPG also performs periodic compliance audits, which are conducted by either internal experts or third-party consultants. Where necessary, facilities are provided with a corrective action plan that includes defined milestones for improvement.

Our facilities conduct regular environmental and spill control training, as well as spill elimination workshops. During these events, employees from various functions assess their facilities to identify areas for immediate improvement and opportunities for longer term actions.

We prioritize interventions at our highest risk sites to further reduce the risk of spills. All of our sites are required to implement the following controls:

Overflow protection for stationary processes and storage vessels
Clear labeling of all lines and connections with contents and destination
Securing portable tanks and loose containers on pallets when transported around the facility

We identify issues before they become significant through strict internal spill reporting requirements and self-assessments. Reporting thresholds vary by material and government-reportable levels, with the lowest threshold at 11 pounds (5 kilograms). Our internal reporting requirements include specific data related to each spill. This data allows a site to define and improve the process for material and product handling and movement to avoid future spills.

Remediation

Some of our past waste disposal methods, which were once in compliance with waste regulations and accepted industry practices, can require environmental remediation or land reclamation to meet current regulations, our internal standards or stakeholder expectations.

We follow regulatory guidance and rules to assess and manage environmental issues and impacts at our facilities. This commonly includes a site assessment, which is conducted at various stages of a remediation project lifecycle and provides an environmental evaluation according to standard industry practices. The assessment determines what, if any, remediation activities or restrictions will be implemented to meet our goal of leaving each facility in a condition in which it can be reused safely and productively.

To learn more about our remediation efforts, refer to our Form 10-K.

Waste

PPG recognizes the importance of moving toward a circular economy.

Reduction of total waste intensity

Increase process waste to reuse, recycle and recovery

Annual improvement in spills and releases

Reducing waste in our operations

Transforming retail displays with Tikkurila

Advancing our circularity approach

Spills and releases

Paint circularity with GDB International

Multi-year data highlights

Waste disposal

Waste generated / recycled

Non-hazardous waste

Hazardous waste

Spills and releases rate

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