BASF and Cromology Transform End-of-Life Tires into Sustainable Raw Materials for Decorative Paints

Philippe Hosotte, Chief Innovation & Product Development Officer at Cromology, presents the new Tollens interior wall paint Maxiline+, developed in collaboration with BASF using chemically recycled feedstocks from end‑of‑life tires.
Photo: Cromology

(IN BRIEF) BASF and Cromology have introduced a new circular economy solution for the coatings industry by incorporating chemically recycled materials derived from end-of-life tires into decorative wall paints. Cromology will use BASF’s Acronal® Ccycled® acrylic binder in its new Tollens Maxiline+ interior paint range, launching in France in 2026. The partnership aims to reduce fossil resource consumption and lower the carbon footprint of paint production while maintaining the same quality and performance standards as conventional products.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUDWIGSHAFEN/LA DÉFENSE, 20-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — BASF and Cromology are expanding circular economy solutions in the coatings industry through a new collaboration that transforms end-of-life tires into raw materials for decorative interior wall paints.

Under the partnership, Cromology will use BASF’s chemically recycled acrylic binder Acronal® Ccycled® in its long-established Tollens interior wall paint range. The innovation allows recycled materials derived from waste tires to be integrated into paint production through a certified mass balance approach while maintaining the same quality and performance standards as conventional products.

The sustainable binder will be incorporated into the new Tollens Maxiline+ interior wall paint, which is scheduled to become available in France from March 2026. Tollens, a paint brand with origins dating back to 1748, said the initiative forms part of its broader effort to introduce more sustainable solutions into its product portfolio.

Philippe Hosotte, Chief Innovation & Product Development Officer at Cromology, stated that the collaboration allows the company to combine high-performance decorative paints with a measurable reduction in environmental impact while preserving product quality and application performance.

Hosotte added that the project supports Cromology’s wider strategy of accelerating the use of circular raw materials and contributing to a more sustainable construction and coatings ecosystem.

The partnership also supports efforts to reduce dependence on fossil-based resources by integrating chemically recycled feedstocks into industrial production processes.

Robert Heger, Vice President Business Management Polymer Dispersions for Architectural Coatings & Construction EMEA at BASF, said the company’s Acronal® Ccycled® binders are particularly suitable for premium interior wall paints and enable customers to significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with the products while maintaining identical quality standards.

The recycled feedstocks used in the production process originate from waste tires that are converted into pyrolysis oil through a chemical recycling process. Within BASF’s ChemCycling® system, the pyrolysis oil is introduced into the company’s Verbund production network at the beginning of the value chain, replacing a portion of conventional fossil feedstocks.

BASF applies a third-party audited mass balance method to attribute the share of recycled raw material to selected products manufactured within the production network. The resulting Ccycled® binders are independently certified under the REDcert² certification system and are designed to perform identically to conventionally manufactured binders.

To ensure transparency across the supply chain, the new Tollens Maxiline+ paint has also received REDcert² certification covering the mass balance chain of custody.

According to BASF and Cromology, the amount of pyrolysis oil used in a 10-litre container of the new paint corresponds to approximately two end-of-life tires, providing a practical example of circular resource use within the coatings industry.

The companies said the initiative represents another step toward scaling circular economy solutions in decorative paints and reducing environmental impact throughout the coatings value chain.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 108,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €60 billion in 2025. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com. For further information about dispersions for Architectural Coatings in EMEA, please visit: Dispersions for architectural coatings | BASF

About Cromology

Cromology, a subsidiary of DuluxGroup (Australia’s leading paint company) and Nippon Paint (the world’s 4th largest paint group), is a major player in the European decorative paint industry. Operating in 7 countries (Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and Switzerland), Cromology employs 3,100 people and has nearly 370 company-owned stores, 5 research laboratories, 9 production sites, and 6 logistics platforms. In France, with almost 300 stores and 2,100 employees, Tollens and Zolpan exemplify Cromology’s commitment to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to both professional and individual customers. Thanks to its CSR efforts, Cromology earned the EcoVadis Bronze Medal in 2025. Further information at: Cromology | Cromology

Media Contact:

BASF 
Kathrin Heineking
Phone: +49 174 3196683
kathrin.heineking@basf.com

Cromology
Anne-Elise BOSC
Phone: +33 6 68 81 10 09
anne-elise.bosc@cromology.com

SOURCE: BASF