# Sherwin-Williams

> Sherwin-Williams has a concrete coatings-and-recovery wedge: the coating can extend asset life, while unused paint and containers still create a physical waste system. Its 2025 report says about 80% of paint collected through PaintCare is latex-based and can be recycled or used in other products. The next useful unit is one coating family where durability, raw-material choice, container and recovery outcome are measured together.

- Industry: Chemicals & Advanced Materials
- Collection: Active
- Materials: Solvents, Water
- Processes: Recycling, Sorting
- Evidence through: 2026-09-18
- Canonical URL: https://www.materialtransition.com/library/sherwin-williams

## Material inputs to resolve

Paints and coatings, product stewardship and circular material systems across manufacturing and distribution

Sherwin-Williams 2025 sustainability materials identify circularity and product stewardship as focus areas. The company reports that its automated LCA process can shorten assessments from days to minutes, approximately 70% of its paint stores in participating jurisdictions host PaintCare sites, and about 30% of net sales came from products with sustainability-related certifications or declarations. Public reporting does not establish one product-level record connecting formulation, durability, packaging, application outcome and recovery route.

**~30%** Net sales from products with sustainability certifications or declarations

**~70%** Paint stores hosting PaintCare sites in participating jurisdictions

**11 states + DC** PaintCare expansion described in 2025 highlights

**23%** Scope 1 and 2 reduction from 2019 baseline at year end 2025

- Resins, pigments, solvents, water, additives, containers, labels and application materials
- Formulation, manufacturing, distribution, customer substrate and service-life requirements
- Returned paint, empty containers, solvents, packaging and coating waste

### Outputs and residuals to resolve

- Architectural, industrial, automotive, protective and performance coatings
- Paint waste, spent solvents, containers, packaging and application residuals
- Formulation-level recycled content, durability evidence and recovery outcome remain open

**First decision:** Choose one Sherwin-Williams coating family and use case. Join formulation, raw-material suppliers, application conditions, service life, container and recovery route.

## Product signal

Sherwin-Williams frames durability and resilience as part of the sustainability value of its products.

#### LCA signal

The company reports automating its LCA process in 2025, reducing assessment time from days to minutes.

#### Recovery signal

Sherwin-Williams reports PaintCare participation across 11 states and the District of Columbia. About 80% of collected paint is latex-based, and approximately 70% of Sherwin-Williams stores in those jurisdictions host collection sites.

#### Evidence boundary

Portfolio and program metrics do not establish one coating-level formulation, durability and recovery record.

### Decision boundary

The public record supports one bounded next move: Choose one Sherwin-Williams coating family and use case. Join formulation, raw-material suppliers, application conditions, service life, container and recovery route. It does not establish a buyer, commercial approval or supply agreement.

## Material flow map

| Material or stream | Qualification gate | Process or destination | Evidence still needed |
|-|-|-|-|
| Resins and pigments | Performance, chemical content, durability and supplier origin | Coating formulation and manufacture | BOM, supplier, test and product claim |
| Water and solvent systems | VOC, cleaning, wastewater and process safety | Manufacturing and application | Input, use, reuse and discharge boundary |
| Paint and container waste | Collection, contamination, sorting and destination | Reuse, recycling or regulated disposal | Market, route, quality and recovered output |

This is a public screening map. It separates company-disclosed flows from open qualification work. It does not convert a destination into a buyer or an announced ambition into operating capacity.

## Three defensible entry lanes

#### Measure durability as avoided material demand

A coating that extends asset life can be valuable, but the comparison needs a defined baseline and service interval.

**Next evidence:** Select substrate, coating, life extension, maintenance baseline and material avoided.

#### Make LCA usable at the formulation gate

Fast LCA only changes decisions if it is tied to specific raw materials, suppliers and customer performance.

**Next evidence:** Select formulation, input, supplier, use case, test result and claim.

#### Connect PaintCare to product design

Recovery programs are stronger when container, formulation, market and end-of-life route are visible together.

**Next evidence:** Select product, package, store, collection route, processor and output.

## Evidence register

- **Sustainability** Sherwin-Williams, official sustainability hub https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/us/en/sustainability.html [1]
- **2025 sustainability reports and downloads** Sherwin-Williams, official report library https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/us/en/sustainability/reports-and-downloads.html [2]
- **Circularity and life-cycle thinking** Sherwin-Williams, official circularity page https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/us/en/sustainability/focus-areas/product-blueprint/circularity.html [3]
- **2025 Sustainability Report, post-consumer paint** Sherwin-Williams https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/sustainability/sustainability-reports/2025/documents-downloads/Sherwin-Williams%202025%20Sustainability%20Report.pdf [4]

Source hierarchy: filings and company disclosures first. The brief states what those sources support and leaves the unresolved plant, grade, permit, buyer and mass-balance questions explicit.

## Material Transition editorial interpretation

Sherwin-Williams has a material-transition wedge that most coatings companies underuse: the product can extend the life of the asset it protects, while the formulation and container still create a physical waste system. Its 2025 reporting highlights circularity, automated LCA, PaintCare collection and product stewardship. The next step is one coating family where durability, raw material choice, packaging and end-of-life are measured together. The next useful working session starts with: Choose one Sherwin-Williams coating family and use case. Join formulation, raw-material suppliers, application conditions, service life, container and recovery route.

## Sources

- [1] Sustainability - https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/us/en/sustainability.html
- [2] 2025 sustainability reports and downloads - https://www.sherwin-williams.com/content/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/us/en/sustainability/reports-and-downloads.html
- [3] Circularity and life-cycle thinking - https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/us/en/sustainability/focus-areas/product-blueprint/circularity.html
- [4] 2025 Sustainability Report, post-consumer paint - https://corporate.sherwin-williams.com/content/dam/sherwin/corp/corp-aem-sherwin/sustainability/sustainability-reports/2025/documents-downloads/Sherwin-Williams%202025%20Sustainability%20Report.pdf

From the Material Transition company brief library: https://www.materialtransition.com/library/sherwin-williams