You can make a small contribution to saving the environment by using environmentally friendly DIY products in your home.

How involved are you when it comes to caring for the environment? Environmental issues are of great concern not only locally, but also internationally. World environment Day was celebrated on June 5 with the theme ‘Give Earth a Chance’ and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (August 26 – September 4) at the Sandton Convention Centre is addressing issues such as conserving our natural resources in a world that is growing in population, with ever-increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security.

Although you may feel overwhelmed by global environmental issues, you can still play a role in helping to save the environment.

But how can you make a positive impact? Be environmentally friendly. Drop the synthetics and go organic with eco-smart products and supplies. Introduce a policy of environmental awareness for yourself when shopping. Consider the following when next making a purchase for your home:

• What is the recycled or remanufactured content of a product?
• Can the product be reused or recycled when you’ve finished with it?
• How much and what kind of packaging does it have?

Many companies that manufacture DIY products are taking eco-efficiency and environmental care very seriously and spend a lot of money on and time on the research and development of environmentally friendly products. Here are just some of the environmentally friendly DIY products that you can use in your home.

Genkem Solvent-Free Contact adhesive is an innovative environmentally friendly contact adhesive that has been designed as an alternative to conventional solvent based contact adhesives. Being water based, it is safe and easy to use, even in confined areas or occupied buildings. The product contains no solvents or toxic by-products. It has high solids content and gives twice the spread of conventional contact adhesives.

It is suitable for use on rubber, leather, and metal, most plastics, cork, laminates, textiles, floor coverings, wood and painted surfaces. Tools and brushes can be cleaned with water, which means that unsafe clean-up solvents don’t have to use.

Genkem Bourne Gleem Clear Floor (water based technology) is a low odour, tough, flexible and smooth coating for all interior wooden floors. It is solvent free, non-flammable and easy to use. It may be cleaned with water with water before it dries and is suitable for use on timber floors, cork and parquet floors. It also has an abrasion, water and chemical resistant finish.

Genkem Nova 19 Ultra Clear is a tough, durable, low odour, water based and non-yellowing timber finish. It incorporates a surface modifier to produce a silky smooth abrasion and water-resistant finish. It is suitable for use on wooden trim work, doors, paneling, kitchen units, frames, skirtings and furniture.

Genkem Just Like a Silicone is the latest in sealant technology. It is a water based sealant that has low odour and is solvent free. It is an easy to use ‘multi-purpose’ sealant for general construction purposes such as sealing and repair jobs in bathrooms and kitchens.

Genkem Montage is a ready to use adhesive for easy and visible fixing of various materials without drilling, screwing and nailing. It can be used to fix cladding, skirting boards, slates door and window sills, posts uprights, synthetic materials, ornamental stone, ceramic tiles, concrete, brick plaster, wood and chipboard.

Genkem Gloss Acrylic Enamel is a low odour, non-drip, water based gloss acrylic paint. The advanced no-brush marks formulation provides‘durable enamel like finish.

Designed as all-purpose house paint for interior/ exterior use, it is suitable for trim work, wooden and garden furniture.

Genkem Kidz Room Paint is a low odour, tough, durable, scrubbable, stain resistant, satin sheen finish interior pure acrylic wall coating. Suitable for bedrooms, dining rooms, lounges, TV rooms and passageways.

Genkem Kidz Room Ceiling Paint has been specially formulated for ‘Growing Kidz’. The unique low odour formula is designed for ‘comfort’ and ‘peace of mind’. As it is ‘low odour’, there are no smelly paint fumes to worry about.

This means that you can sleep in the room on the same night of application.

Article from The Home Handyman , September 2002

As a low odour, tough, flexible and smooth coating for all interior wooden floors, Genkem Bourne Gleem Clear Floor is solvent free and non-flammable. The product is suitable for timber, cork and parquet floors and is resistant to water, abrasion and chemicals.

The Genkem Nova 19 Ultra Clear Gloss is a tough, durable, premium quality, low odour, water-based and non-yellowing timber finish.

Incorporating a unique surface modifier to produce a silky smooth abrasion and water resistant finish is perfect for wooden trim work, paneling, kitchen units, doors, frames, skirtings, furniture and much more.

A water-based polyurethane, Genkem Nova 27 Novathane Polyurethane is a low odour, non-yellowing coating with a crystal clear finish. The finish is water, heat, stain and alcohol resistant. Nova 27 is suitable for all interior wood services and furniture (except wooden floors) and for use on soft hard wood.

Nova 26 Nova Sheen is a water-based acrylic coating which beautifies, enhances and protects exterior timber and is water repellent and mildew resistant. It is suitable for all exterior timber work.

The environmentally acceptable alternative to toxic PCP is Nova 30 Wood Disinfectant. This specially patented formula protects wood effectively against rot and borer. It can be used prior o painting or varnishing on all wood types without bleach or discolouring or affecting the dimensional stability of the wood.

Article from Wood SA & Timber Times

After owning the Genkem brand for three years, Qualichem-Genkem has more than quadrupled its range of products

This October Qualichem-Genkem celebrates achieving its three-year goal, which was set out when Qualichem acquired the Genkem, Nova, Bourne and Sandtex ranges in October 1999.

The acquisition resulted in many benefits for Qualichem, the main one being that the new company, Qualichem-Genkem, formed the largest water-based and solvent-based adhesive manufacturer in South Africa.

However, the new company also faced several challenges. In October 1999, when the agreement took place, Genkem was non-profitable and poorly managed. Part of the deal meant that Qualichem had to enter into an agreement with Genkem and Bostik Paris which stated that Qualichem and Genkem would have a one-year Restraint of Trade whereby no products competing against Bostik would be launched. The reason for this was to allow the new Bostik licensee a one-year grace period.

The other obstacle that the Qualichem management team faced was that no production would take place at the Genkem site. This meant that the Qualichem production team had to accept the challenge of dealing with the additional production volumes from Genkem. “The period October 1, 1999 to October 2000 was a tough one, but all the credit goes to the production team for coping with the situation, “ says Qualichem-Genkem CEO Donald Perry. “Qualichem-Genkem utilized this difficult period to evaluate the situation and put in place the future planning that would allow the group to reach its 3 year target to turn Genkem around,” he explains.

By October 2000 the new state of the art Westmead factory and warehouse facility was reaching completion. In addition, the Industria site had grown with the installation of packaging and bulk storage facilities.

The Qualichem-Genkem Cape Town warehouse had also doubled its size and the infrastructure put in place a year earlier was clearly showing signs of being a winner.

Phase two of the acquisition was put in place from October 1, 2000 to October 1 2002. “Qualichem-Genkem concentrated on polishing off the building projects, moving the plant and machinery from the old Genkem site as well as moving towards using the Qualichem strengths and infrastructure that would see Genkem being the major force it once was in years gone by,” says Perry.

A range of products was decided upon and the Technical Department brief was to develop new innovative, environmentally and user-friendly DIY, Art, Craft and Stationery products.

The marketing brief included upgrading as well as designing packaging for the new range being developed. The product range was released to the retail market during August and September 2002.

“Many of the new products are leaders in product technical innovation, environmental care and user friendly. These products are in line with Qualichem-Genkem’s belief in preserving the environment and we have committed ourselves to this cause by developing and producing high performance adhesives and coatings that are environmentally friendly and comply with health and safety regulations,” says Perry.

“The Genkem , Nova, Bourne , Sandtex and Tile Doctor ranges of DIY Home Improvement products are now one of the most comprehensive available from a single supplier. The new Genkem has channelled all energies into once again achieving, as it did once many years ago, multiple brand leadership,” explains Perry.

“Having achieved the three-year goal set out by the Qualichem management, we are now ready to continue investing in the growth for the future, with the emphasis being on Qualichem-Genkem being successful, world class adhesive and coatings manufacturer by any measure,” concludes Perry.

Article from DIY trade news

THE REASONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW GENERATION GENKEM CONTACT ADHESIVES

LISTENING is one of the things GENKEM does best. By listening we have learned of the issues, causing concern to our customers – environmental fears, health and safety and the sensitive issue of solvents, solvent based adhesives and “glue sniffing”.

“Glue sniffing” is a worldwide problem and a concern to responsible adhesive manufactures and retailers. The Research and Development team at GENKEM have taken these concerns seriously with the development of their latest “innovative first” approach of user friendly solvent based contact adhesives and a solvent-free contact adhesive.

This means GENKEM CONTACT ADHESIVES, SOUTH AFRICA’S MARKET LEADERS, ARE NOW ALSO SOUTH AFRICA’S SAFEST CONTACT ADHESIVES TO USE!

CONSIDER THE FACTS:

• Contact Adhesives generally are manufactured using benzine as the main solvent.
  
• n-Hexane is a major component in commercial benzine.
  
• Neurotoxic effects of n-Hexane.

It is well established that n-Hexane causes adverse effects on the peripheral nervous system in humans and laboratory rodents, following repeated prolonged inhalation exposure to relatively high levels.

Clinically, the polyneuropathy (a form of neurotoxicity) caused by n-Hexane is characterized by muscle strength, foot drop, paresthesis (“pins and needles” sensation), decreased motor nerve conduction and evidence of nerve damage.

Based primarily on the data from human epidemiology, work place exposure limits of 20 – 50 ppm for n-Hexane have been established by various regulatory authorities, including the Department of Labour in South Africa (Government Gazette, regulation number 5549 dated 25 August 1995)

Acute Neurobehavioural Effects.

The central nervous system (CNS) is a primary target for the acute effects of high concentrations of organic solvents. “The acute toxicity of inhaled organic solvent vapours is characterized, in both animals and humans by reversible signs of CNS.

Subtle changes in information processing and psychomotor (e.g. hand-eye co-ordination) function may occur at exposure levels 2 – 5 times the current Occupational Exposure Limits. These subtle changes are important because they may affect worker safety and performance. At higher exposure levels more explicit symptoms occur including headaches, nausea and loss co-ordination.

The final outcome was the introduction of a narrow cut, aliphatic solvent specially developed for use in the adhesive industry. It’s extremely low n-Hexane content of less than 2% offers a safeguard to over-exposure associated with high n-Hexane vapour concentration. This coupled with the low level of aromatics, provides Genkem with a safe alternative compared to other commercially available benzines.

FACT FILE:    

Due to the fact that Genkem is a household generic name, Genkem contact has over the years become synonymous with glue usage. Whether we at Genkem like it or not, Genkem solvent based contact as well as other brands are used for “glue sniffing”.

This revolutionary breakthrough now allows Genkem peace of mind as the harmful elements of n-Hexane have been significantly reduced to comply with legislation.

GENKEM CONTACT SOLVENT BASED ADHESIVE is now a unique product that clearly reduces Health and Safety risks that result from over exposure to n-Hexane.

GENKEM SOLVENT BASED CONTACT ADHESIVE meets the challenge and demands of legislation surrounding the occupational Exposure Limits (OEL’S) set for n-Hexane in South Africa and internationally.