Kuala Lumpur, 7 Jun 2010 - At a time when the world’s environment is in a state of recovering from the recession, AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paints and coatings company, is taking the lead by galvanising communities to make green investments for the environment with its Dulux Paint Bank education and empowerment campaign. Playing on the banking concept, the campaign aims to raise awareness on the proper methods for paint disposal, encouraging the public to ‘deposit’ leftover or unused paint to be recycled for ‘returns’ of a safer and cleaner environment.

"At AkzoNobel, sustainability for us means a conscious choice to make decisions that actively account for the long-term impact of our actions. This means that we seek to do the right thing. In our increasingly small world, the little things we do today can have a big impact on our children tomorrow; this is one demonstration of our belief in 'Tomorrow's Answers Today'. We are believers of this core value – to focus on our customers' future first – and we wish for our partners and the community we live in to join us in this effort as well," said Jeremy Rowe, Managing Director, AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, South East Asia & Pacific.

To participate, consumers simply have to drop-off their leftover or unused paint at any of the four collection points located at various Tesco hypermarkets in Peninsular Malaysia from 11 June – 3 July. Each consumer is allowed a maximum contribution of 15 litres, and will each receive a small gift as a token for their participation. In return, AkzoNobel will match consumers’ deposit litre for litre, donating up to a potential maximum of 20,000 litres to be used for community service. The paint raised from the campaign will be used for the restoration work of four homes in need throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

"Beyond the environment, it's important to remember that we are a part of this community. We are committed to give back to society by remembering the less fortunate and serving them in any way we can. Working alongside our dedicated partners, we are delighted to bring some colourful cheer into their lives,” reinforced Goh Cheok Weng, Managing Director, ICI Paints Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

"By contributing their unused paint, consumers will play a tremendous role in reducing water pollution and contamination as well as saving aqua-life. It's a small investment that will count for so much to the next generation," he added.

Reinforcing its status as one of the world's most committed sustainable organisations, AkzoNobel has consistently listed as one of top three companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI) over the past few years. In 2009, the company's sustainability agenda gained much momentum with 20 per cent of its revenue generated from eco-friendly solutions. The global company’s target is to increase the share of turnover from eco-friendly solutions to at least 30% in 2015. Locally, AkzoNobel is the first paint company in Malaysia to introduce a complete range of Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) products in the country and has recently upgraded its entire market-leading exteriors range, Weathershield, with heat reducing and energy saving "Keep Cool" technology.

Employees have also been constantly encouraged to self initiate community programmes within the communities they work and live in, which have amounted to some 1,100 projects globally since 2005.

Jeremy firmly believes that companies advocating sustainability must walk the talk, and not merely be involved in corporate social responsibility for marketing gains. "It is not sufficient to be passive advocates; companies that preach sustainability must demonstrate that they are leading by example," he said.

"While we maintain the high quality standards of our products, we also take practical steps to ensure our product manufacturing and distribution processes are carried out in such a way that pollution, waste and other environmental impacts are minimised. We have developed a framework to demonstrate the essential relationship between the three elements of environmental, economic and social aspects, which together map out the journey towards sustainability," he explained.

Held at the scenic Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul, the launch was witnessed by AkzoNobel's partners for the Dulux Paint Bank campaign, namely, Ir. Lee Heng Keng, Deputy Director General, Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Ms. Yasmin Rasyid, Director and Founder, EcoKnights; Ms. Marlene Kaur, Corporate Affairs Director, Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; and Mr. S. Perry, Managing Director, Tex Cycle Sdn Bhd.

For more information on Dulux Paint Bank, visit www.duluxpaintbank.org or call the customer care hotline at 1-800-88-9338.

From Left; Ms. Yasmin Rasyid, Director and Founder, EcoKnights, Ms. Marlene Kaur, Corporate Affairs Director, Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, IR Lee Heng Keng, Deputy Director General, Department of Environment , Mr. Jeremy Rowe, Managing Director, AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, South East Asia & Pacific, Mr. Goh Cheok Weng, Managing Director, ICI Paints Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Mr. S. Perry, Managing Director, Tex Cycle Sdn. Bhd;