BASF and French paint maker Cromology are accelerating the coatings industry’s shift toward circular materials, unveiling a new collaboration that turns end-of-life tires into high-performance paint ingredients.

 

Cromology will now source BASF’s chemically recycled acrylic binder, Acronal Ccycled, for its Tollens interior wall paints—marking a direct industrial application of recycled waste in premium decorative coatings.

 

“This innovation allows us to combine high-performance decorative paints with a tangible reduction in environmental impact - without compromising on quality or application,” said Philippe Hosotte, Chief Innovation & Product Development Officer at Cromology. 

 

“It is a concrete step in our ambition to accelerate the use of circular raw materials across our products and contribute to a more sustainable construction ecosystem.”

 

At the core of the breakthrough is BASF’s ChemCycling process, which converts end-of-life tires into pyrolysis oil via advanced recycling technology. That oil is then fed into BASF’s Verbund production system, replacing fossil-based raw materials at the start of the chemical value chain.

 

“Our Acronal Ccycled binders are well suited for high-quality interior wall paints. By using chemically recycled feedstocks, we conserve fossil resources and enable our customers to achieve a significantly reduced CO₂ footprint with identical product quality,” stated Robert Heger, Vice President Business Management Polymer Dispersions for Architectural Coatings & Construction for EMEA at BASF.

 

Through a third-party audited mass-balance approach, the recycled content is allocated to specific products, ensuring certified traceability under REDcert² standards while maintaining identical performance to conventional materials.

 

The result will appear in Cromology’s new Tollens interior paint, Maxiline+, launching in France in March 2026. The brand, known since 1748 for its color expertise and durability, is now positioning sustainability at the center of its next generation products.

 

Each 10-litre container of Maxiline+ contains a recycled content equivalent to approximately two end-of-life tires—offering a striking illustration of industrial waste being transformed into everyday home improvement materials.

 

The partners say the collaboration strengthens efforts to cut reliance on fossil resources and reduce emissions across the coatings value chain, signaling a broader move toward scalable circular chemistry in the sector.