Dear all just to let you know that we have passed the ISO 22716:2007  Cosmetics-Good Manufacturing Practices Audit. I have mentioned before that I believe that this is one of the hardest certifications to get and to hold on to. This is due to the amount of stringent cosmetic rules and practices that have to be followed, including in depth scrutinisation of the site, the manufacturing processes, training, equipment, documentation, traceability, controls and complaints to name just some of the topics covered. I was in attendance but this year Lucy lead the audit with the full assistance of the management team including Hansa who was also involved.  I am extremely proud of Lucy and the team for all the hard work, dedication and preparation that they put into getting this accreditation for the Minehead site. 

…

Newsletter: Colart – DC4’s Thanksgiving Food Drive

November 20, 2023

Dear Colart Team,

We are thrilled to share some heartwarming news with you all! 🌟

Colart has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to our community by making an incredibly generous donation of over 300 pounds of food to the Samaritans Homeless Interim Program (SHIP). Your collective efforts have made a significant impact, especially during this season of gratitude and giving.

A Bounty of Compassion

The Thanksgiving Food Drive was a resounding success, thanks to each and every one of you. Your dedication, compassion, and willingness to lend a helping hand have touched the lives of those less fortunate. The boxes filled with essential food items will provide nourishment and warmth to families in need.

Special Acknowledgment

A heartfelt thank you to Elba Garnica for her instrumental role assisting in the transportation coordination and delivery of the donations.

Additionally, we extend our gratitude to Elba’s team for their invaluable assistance in assembling the boxes. Their hard work made it possible for us to transport the donations with ease.

Together, We Make a Difference

As we gather with our loved ones this Thanksgiving, let us remember the impact we’ve collectively made. Our actions reverberate far beyond our office walls, touching lives and spreading hope.

Thank you, Colart family, for embodying the spirit of generosity and compassion. Let’s continue to be a beacon of light for our community.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Eric Drylewicz

Facilities Support Specialist 

Colart Americas DC4 

…

At the end of last month, I had the pleasure of attending the awards ceremony and exhibition of the Young London Print Prize (YLPP), of which we were a partner in the UK as Lefranc Bourgeois. The competition invited young Londoners between the ages of 9 and 11 to express their personal response to the climate crisis through the art of printmaking. Using the charity stock from the Elephant clear out, we managed to supply YLPP with Lefranc Bourgeois materials to cover all their workshops in schools, as well as prizes for the winners and materials that will continue to be used to train primary school art teachers. Not only was this an incredible way for our charity donations to benefit young people creating art on the theme of climate change and the planet, but attending the event facilitated conversations on new commercial partnerships with Woolwich Print Fair and Charbonnel.

Woolwich Print Fair – the largest art fair of its kind in Europe today – was co-founded by Matt Bell, who runs YLPP to inspire and showcase the work of young artists. As part of the award their team worked in primary schools across London, putting on workshops for the students and teachers. A team of young curators studying art at sixth form then poured through over 3000 printed works, selecting a winner from each school to have their work exhibited at the fair. On top of this they selected a top 3, who had their artworks displayed on the Piccadilly lights (along with our logo) and were interviewed by the BBC and received additional prizes of Lefranc Bourgeois materials. There were some incredible prints created by the students, and those in attendance were so excited to see their work on display – a memory I’m sure they’ll cherish. A huge thankyou to Ajita, Liza & Olivia for their incredible work throughout the various stages of this process which made the project possible.

Have a look at the process and results in this short video posted on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzeZaD5IRMp/?next=%2Frebecca910616%2Ffeed%2F&hl

…

Outrageous Product Safety claims from Deco Paint company

Now for a bizarre post…

An interesting case was raised by our trade Association in the UK a couple of weeks ago (the British Coating Federation or BCF). A competitor in the Deco Paint industry, called Lakeland Paints, has been making the outrageous claim that their paint is so safe that it can be eaten. A part owner of the company can be seen in a video on the home page of their site eating the paint with a spoon!?! (check out the video on their website: https://www.lakelandpaints.co.uk/ )

This is of course misleading and dangerous. They use ingredients which are not food grade ingredients, but instead are common industrial grade ingredients one can normally find in commercial paint.

A chemical product, such as a fine artist paint, needs comply with the CLP regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008) and the REACH regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) among other regulations to be considered compliant in the EU. Under the CLP regulation, products are assessed for their toxicity based on the content of the substances within the formulation and the toxicological data of these substances.

All products sold in the US are evaluated by an independent toxicologist in the certification program of ACMI (The Art and Creative Materials Institute). Our products are labelled in compliance with applicable Federal Labelling of Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA) and carry ACMI certification seals. Products bearing the AP Approved Product Seal of the ACMI are certified to contain no materials in sufficient quantities to pose a health risk or to be deemed injurious in accordance with current medical knowledge and if the materials are used in the manner intended.

These are the regulatory requirements that products such as ours need to meet to be able to be sold and used safely. Other products such as food, foodstuff, toys, cosmetics, biocidal products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and others, all have specific regulations which regulate each industry and assure safety of each of these products.

The intended use of the product and the exposure the user will have when using are key. Products are evaluated according to the regulations which relate to their intended use. It follows from this reasoning that a product evaluated as a deco paint will never be safe enough to purposely eat!  (even when one does survive accidental ingestion).

At Colart we pride ourselves of safe products and we also pride ourselves of being transparent with our consumers and transmitting responsible use of our products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aY-BFCU_qw

…