Nankang Furniture "Oil-to-Water" Transition Sparks Debate: Is Full Adoption of Water-Based Materials Far Off?
Recent news about the "oil-to-water" transition at the Nankang Furniture Industrial Park in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, has spread widely across the industry. Under heated discussion, the topic of green upgrading in the furniture sector has once again taken centre stage.
The transition has not been smooth sailing. Manufacturers have long worried about the production costs of new coatings, while brands have questioned whether final product quality would be affected. To maximise industry engagement and drive this change forward, the Nankang District Government issued the "Implementation Plan for VOCs Control in Furniture Spraying Enterprises in Nankang District, Ganzhou City", offering policy support and financial subsidies to enterprises switching to water-based paints. At the same time, the government has rolled out vocational training programmes for spray painters across the district, raising their skills in water-based paint application and accelerating the "oil-to-water" process upgrade on multiple fronts.
According to recent information released by the Nankang District Government, 267 local enterprises have ceased spraying operations. Among the district's furniture spraying enterprises, 14 have achieved full-process treatment, 84 have completed the full "oil-to-water" switch, and 105 are currently in large-scale trial production. With strong government backing, a growing number of furniture manufacturers using traditional solvent-based coatings are joining the green transformation.
As environmental pressures have intensified in recent years, the national government has introduced environmental taxes on air, water, solid waste and noise pollution. Joint central-local environmental enforcement has also been stepped up, with furniture manufacturers now listed as key monitoring targets by environmental authorities. The furniture industry has moved from "slow transformation" to "transformation is mandatory".
Traditional solvent-based coatings release large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during use, polluting the environment and endangering human health. Leather, a common raw material in the furniture industry, also faces significant pollution concerns. Conventional genuine leather, PVC and solvent-based PU generate substantial VOC emissions during production. Moreover, due to the use of organic solvents, traditional leather products inevitably carry harmful substances such as formaldehyde and DMF. These hazardous substances enter consumers' indoor living environments along with furniture, posing a threat to human health. Clearly, the leather industry faces the same urgent need for an "oil-to-water" green upgrade.
Zhejiang Changfeng New Materials began developing 0 DMF, 0 formaldehyde eco-friendly synthetic leather products as early as 2007, becoming China's first 100% water-based synthetic leather manufacturer with true full-scale mass production of water-based eco-friendly synthetic leather. With nearly two decades of deep expertise in water-based leather, Changfeng has accumulated extensive R&D experience and solid technical reserves. The company continues to explore emerging materials such as water-based solvent-free and water-based bio-based options, playing a key role in advancing the green upgrade of China's synthetic leather industry.
As consumer environmental awareness continues to grow, the leather industry is inevitably moving towards a green, low-carbon and eco-friendly future. The promotion and adoption of water-based leather will become an unstoppable trend and a public priority. With supportive industry policies, advancing enterprise technologies and rising consumer environmental consciousness, the leather industry's "oil-to-water" transition will gradually become a reality. We look forward to seeing more green, eco-friendly furniture entering consumers' homes in the years ahead.
Sources:
Gannan Daily – "Oil-to-Water: The Green Code for Sustainable Furniture in Nankang"
Industrial Coatings – "Nankang Furniture Oil-to-Water: The Government Means Business"
Nankang Media – "Nankang Promotes Oil-to-Water Transition to Develop Green Furniture"
