Fabrication de peinture à l'huile de lin
Traditionnellement, les artistes et les décorateurs fabriquaient leur propre peinture en mélangeant une pâte à partir des pigments de leur choix et d’une base d’huile. Ils le faisaient à l’aide d’outils manuels simples : juste une meule (un outil à manche court pour broyer les pigments) et une plaque. Ils commençaient par broyer les pigments en poudre avec un peu d’huile, puis ajoutaient plus d’huile au fur et à mesure pour créer la bonne consistance. Les artistes utilisaient généralement moins d’huile dans leur peinture, tandis que les peintres en bâtiment en utilisaient davantage afin de créer une peinture plus fine, plus adaptée à la peinture sur de grandes surfaces.
Cette méthode traditionnelle de mélange à la main était non seulement longue et laborieuse, mais il était également assez difficile d’obtenir un résultat uniforme à chaque fois. Pour assurer la durabilité de la peinture, il est essentiel que l’huile de lin et les pigments soient parfaitement mélangés. Si la peinture n’est pas correctement mélangée, elle deviendra mate beaucoup plus rapidement, ce qui augmentera les besoins d’entretien.
Pour obtenir les meilleurs résultats, le procédé de fabrication de Brouns & Co utilise des mélangeurs à colonne et de grands fûts. La peinture mélangée dans ces fûts est ensuite transférée dans un broyeur à trois rouleaux. Ici, la peinture, qui a à ce stade une consistance plus pâteuse, passera entre les rouleaux entre trois et cinq fois, selon la granulométrie des pigments utilisés. Ce processus crée une consistance parfaitement homogène, qui constitue la base des couleurs de peinture finales.
Il est toutefois important de noter que le mélange doit rester à température ambiante. Le frottement du métal sur le métal génère une chaleur considérable et si l’huile devient trop chaude, elle se diluera, ce qui rendra plus difficile l’adhérence du pigment. Cela signifie que le processus de broyage doit impliquer des mesures supplémentaires pour maintenir l’huile et la pâte à la bonne température. Pour ce faire, on utilise des rouleaux dans lesquels circule en permanence de l’eau froide.
En laissant de côté les machines modernes et les techniques de refroidissement supplémentaires, la méthode que nous utilisons aujourd’hui pour broyer les pigments dans de l’huile bouillie est en principe vieille de plusieurs centaines d’années. En gardant cela à l’esprit, vous pouvez commencer à comprendre pourquoi la peinture à l’huile de lin est plus chère à produire que les méthodes plus simples utilisées pour produire la peinture plastique moderne. Cependant, une grande partie de la différence de coût est compensée par l’excellent pouvoir couvrant de la peinture à l’huile de lin, un litre de peinture à l’huile de lin allant bien plus loin que la peinture plastique moderne.
Stakeholder Education
Our strategy for stakeholder education involves creating content that informs them about sustainability issues, including the environmental impact of products/services and industry practices. This content is designed to be accessible and engaging, helping to raise awareness and understanding of key environmental issues.
We launch interactive sustainability campaigns that encourage stakeholder participation. These campaigns, such as recycling programs or community clean-up events, aim to actively involve consumers in sustainability efforts, making them a part of the solution.
Partnerships & Collaborations
We are dedicated to promoting sustainability and responsible marketing and communications practice across our network of partners and collaborators.
We actively engage with our partners to encourage alignment with our sustainability values and the principles outlined in this policy. This engagement involves referring The Anti-Greenwash Charter, whilst also sharing knowledge and resources to enhance their understanding and implementation of responsible marketing and communications practice.
We uphold transparency in all our partnerships. Clear communication about the sustainability efforts of our collaborators is essential. We inform our stakeholders about the sustainability credentials of our
partners, reinforcing our commitment to upholding our sustainability goals and public commitments, and encouraging a broader adoption of responsible business practices.
Reviews of Content
We conduct quarterly internal audits of our marketing and communications content to ensure references are accurate and up to date. During these audits, we also review new developments in the industry to identify benchmarking opportunities. Additionally, we undertake an annual review of all ‘static’ content—such as website pages and key documents—to ensure compliance with any updates to the Charter’s standards, changes in relevant regulations, or adjustments to our organisation’s GCP. This ensures our communications remain aligned with the latest expectations for
transparency and responsibility. By incorporating both regular audits and an annual comprehensive review, we ensure our content consistently reflects the highest standards of responsible marketing and communications.
Legal Compliance
Our commitment to legal compliance is unwavering, particularly in the area of green claims. We have established a comprehensive legal compliance framework that includes regular internal audits, ongoing employee training, and collaboration with external legal experts.
Our marketing and communications content is thoroughly reviewed to ensure it complies with all relevant local and international laws, including those related to environmental advertising and data privacy.
We also stay informed about regulatory changes and update our practices accordingly to ensure continuous compliance. Any instances of non-compliance are promptly addressed, and corrective actions are taken to prevent future occurrences. Our legal team works closely with the marketing and communications departments to ensure that all content is both legally sound and aligned with our sustainability commitments.
Governance of this Policy
Our MD is responsible for ensuring that our compliance with this Green Claims Policy is reviewed quarterly. Any non-compliance with this policy will be brought to the attention of the Team, who will decide on further actions and whether the matter should be escalated further.
Any concerns about compliance which cannot be assessed by the MD will be referred to The Anti Greenwash Charter for independent review.
Before entering into new partnerships with third parties, such as suppliers, we share our Green Claims Policy with them to encourage adoption of similar standards.
Campaign Reviews
As a committed signatory of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, we actively engage in an on-going audit process to ensure compliance with our Green Claims Policy. This process involves providing evidence of effective implementation of our practices and procedures during periodic reviews, conducted by a third-party, of a marketing or communications campaign.
These periodic assessments are vital in demonstrating our dedication to upholding responsible marketing and communications practice.
Moreover, we recognise and accept that all audit reports will be appended to our Green Claims Practice (GCP) for public review, ensuring an added layer of transparency and accountability. We are fully aware that any instances of non-compliance may result in the revocation of our certified signatory status, underscoring the importance of continuous compliance and transparency in our operations.
Where We Could Improve
We are committed to continuous improvement in our sustainability practices. Each year, we conduct a thorough assessment of our operations to identify areas where we can further reduce our environmental impact.
Recent evaluations have highlighted opportunities for greater supply chain transparency and provide more training for our team.
To address these areas, we have set specific targets, such as increasing the traceability of our raw materials, and investing in renewable energy.
We regularly review our progress towards these goals and adjust our strategies as needed to ensure we remain at the forefront of sustainable practices.
