In the context of growing environmental awareness, furniture lacquer seems to be caught in a challenging position. The concept of "eco-friendly furniture" has become a key selling point for both sellers and consumers. "Besides the wood itself, furniture lacquer is also an essential component of the eco-friendly furniture idea. This is mainly reflected in its production, usage, and emission levels," said one expert.
However, during a recent investigation into the furniture lacquer industry chain, it became clear that some professionals had limited or no understanding of the environmental impact of these products.
Guangdong Caiyan: Who said baking paint isn't eco-friendly?
"Baking paint is the least environmentally friendly among furniture coatings," claimed sales staff at several well-known brands in Beijing's North Fourth Ring area. However, brands like Ou Rui Furniture and Dynasty Furniture use this type of paint. When the reporter contacted the Ou Rui Furniture Administration Department at Hong Kong Xingli Group, they were met with a strong response: "That’s nonsense," explained a staff member. "We use UV baking paint, which is a new water-based coating that doesn’t release harmful substances. Ou Rui has been manufacturing furniture for 27 years, and we’ve even sent samples to national quality inspection departments for testing to ensure compliance."
"There are many types of paints on the market, and some are just imitations. That might be why some people think paint isn’t eco-friendly," the staff added.
Lin Zhuoneng, business director at Guangdong Caiyan Group's Jiangmen Huangzhou Chemical Co., Ltd., emphasized that "baking paint is simply a category of furniture paint. Whether it's environmentally friendly depends on whether its chemical components meet national standards."
Li Wenqing, head of the technical department at Jiangmen MMS Chemical Co., Ltd. under Guangdong Caiyan Group, echoed this view. "Currently, there are two main types of furniture paints in the domestic market: oil-based and water-based. Oil-based paints include PU, PE, NC, and UV coatings. About 80% of wooden furniture uses PU paint, which is widely used by brands like China Resources and Dabao."
"Baking paint is also a traditional type of furniture paint, often used on hardware, but it can also be applied to wood furniture," Li explained. "Guangdong Caiyan Group has partnered with IKEA for many years, providing them with furniture paint and technical support. From our experience, there’s absolutely no reason to fear baking paint. Even PU paint contains harmful substances like toluene and xylene. To determine if a paint is eco-friendly, you need to look at specific standards, not just the type of paint."
"Production of furniture coatings must strictly adhere to national standards such as GB18581-2009 or some European regulations," Lin noted. "The overall environmental performance of Chinese furniture paints still lags behind Europe." He explained that while PU paint is widely used in China due to its good gloss, hardness, and ease of application, it releases more harmful substances compared to UV paint, which is now commonly used in Europe and is cured quickly under ultraviolet light without volatile emissions. Although more Chinese manufacturers have started using UV paint in the past two years, the process is still not fully matured.
"The most common issues related to eco-friendliness in furniture paint occur during the application process—specifically, the painting in furniture factories," Lin pointed out.
At Qumei Furniture, the situation was unclear. During a visit to the company in Laiguangying, Beijing, a security officer named Fu stopped the reporter from entering and said that the safety manager, Sun Fei, was unavailable. After contacting Sun Fei by phone, he responded, "I’m not responsible for this, I don’t understand these things. I’ll find a colleague to get back to you after returning to the company." No further response was received.
Overall, while many furniture companies are working to meet safety and environmental standards, challenges remain in ensuring that all processes—from production to application—are truly eco-friendly. As the industry evolves, continued education and stricter regulation will be essential to achieving real sustainability in furniture manufacturing.
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