So you’ve just decorated your front room with that stunning shade of green you saw the other night on Grand Designs – but ask yourself; is it really green? Don’t worry, this is not a philosophical question on the notion of perspective; I’m referring to green the ethos, not the colour. If you are already proponent of environmentally friendly paints, then I’m preaching to the converted. If not, then please read on. While we may not be using lead and arsenic in the manufacture of paint anymore, there are still a number of nasty ingredients that go into that sticky paste we spread all over the walls of our houses, bringing with it a host of health and environmental concerns. Therefore, I want to take a look at the so-called ‘eco-friendly’ paints and ask if using this type of paint can be better for the planet and our bodies. I will see what products are currently on the market and investigate the benefits of choosing a greener alternative to decorate your home and business with.
What’s wrong with normal paint?
Paint is made up of three basic components: the pigment (colouring agent), the binder (to bind the paint to the surface) and the solvent (to keep the pigment in suspension until application). Up until 1992 many paints contained lead, which was used as a pigment and because it made the paint tough and durable. Nowadays the paint you buy will not contain lead, but it is very probable that the pigments are made of harmful chemicals. The solvent is likely to contain harmful volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These VOCs are used as a thinner in the solvents and are also found in the binder. The word volatile describes the fact that the compound evaporates from the paint, while organic (don’t be fooled) refers to the fact that they’re carbon-based. VOCs are known to be hazardous to health and to the environment. The list of VOCs used in paint is endless; suffice it to say that even though VOC content is constantly under review, many paints still contain these harmful little critters. Many paints also contain acrylic or vinyl, which are used as binders and influence such properties as texture, adhesion, flexibility and durability. If you buy a cheap paint and the finish looks a bit ‘plasticy’ that’s because it has a high content of either acrylic or vinyl.
The worst health effects linked to paint come from breathing in toxins during the application process, but many of the chemicals, especially VOCs, will continue to release small amounts of toxic emissions for years after they have dried. Respiratory diseases, cancer, allergies and decreased fertility (among others) are all now being associated with our ingestion of harmful chemicals. According to Friends of the Earth, a recent report found that more than 300 man-made chemicals have been found in our bodies. [1] Now, this is not just down to paint, but it certainly plays its part.
The environmental impacts associated with paint come from the energy intensive and high waste-creating procedures used to produce the plethora of chemicals used in today’s paint-making industry. Toxic waste, pollution and climate change can all be attributed to the production of paint, while VOCs have been linked to the creation of ground level ozone. Many traditional paints are also oil based. This uses up a precious fossil fuel, which albeit in small quantities individually, soon adds up; imagine how many pots of paint there are sitting around on shop shelves right now. On that subject, I wanted to see how much paint is actually manufactured each year, but couldn’t find the information, so instead I found this statistic; The US paint and coatings industry includes about 1,100 companies with combined annual sales of $20 billion. [2] That’s a lot of paint.
Disposal is, of course, another aspect to bear in mind when buying paint. For instance, of all the used pots of paint that you have thrown away in your DIY lifetime, how many have actually been empty? Unless you are very lucky, there’s usually some paint left in the bottom of the tin, which has to be disposed of somehow. More often than not this paint is sent to landfill where the toxic chemicals contained within it are allowed to leach into the environment. However, it’s common now for councils to have a paint disposal area at the local amenity tip, so keep an eye out for that.
Important: A word about lead-based paint
While researching this article I looked into the history of paints that contained lead, which lead me (no pun intended) to a host of publications on the dangers of lead-based paints. As an owner of a Victorian house and two small children, I was alarmed by what I found: If you live in a pre-1960’s house, then it is highly likely there is at least some lead-based paint still around on the walls, floors or woodwork, which can cause lead poisoning. According to the US government, in children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead. In adults, it can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. [3] The danger from lead-based paint is that as it gets older, it tends to chip and flake forming a dust. This dust can be created as simply as opening and closing a window allowing the two painted surfaces rub against each other. The lead enters the body through paint chips being ingested or, more commonly, the inhalation of lead dust. The same aforementioned US government report states that lead poisoning may be the biggest threat facing our children today. [3]
To continue here is not really within the scope of this article, but just to say; if you do live in a pre-1960’s home and especially if you have children, please educate yourself on the dangers on lead paint. Lead Test is very good site for this. [4] To reiterate; you will not find lead in paints sold today – it’s the older paints that are beginning to flake where the danger lies. Anyway, back to something more positive…
Eco-friendly paints
There are a number of paints that claim to be green, but there are different ‘shades’ of green among them: some paints are simply free of VOCs, some are made from only natural materials, and then there are those which consider the environment in every step of the way from manufacture to transport to disposal. To be honest, it’s bit of a minefield out there, with the makers and suppliers of ‘eco-friendly’ paints all ready to have a dig at the others because they claim only theirs is truly environmentally friendly. So here’s what I’m going to do; I will list some of the paints that I have found along with what I feel to be their best offerings as to their paint’s credentials. Any further research is up to you.
- IEKO Natural Paint – Uses natural ingredients and sustainable vegetable oil in its oil-based paint. No petrochemicals.
- Farrow and Ball – Paint still contains low or minimal VOCs, but the company has been awarded ISO 14001, showing environmental responsibility in all aspects of its business.
- Little Green – Very low to minimal VOC content, uses 50% recycled steel in its cans.
- Nutshell Natural Paints – Use only naturally sourced raw materials and aim to produce carbon-free products. Assesses the life cycle of all its products.
- Ecos Organic Paints – Organic? Hmmm… Anyway, VOC and solvent free, all ingredients declared, totally free of pesticides, herbicide and toxins.
- Earthborn Paints – No VOCs or acrylic softeners, breathable, full declaration of ingredients. The only producer to be awarded the EU Ecolabel, highlighting strict environmental standards in the manufacture, use and disposal of the paint.
Of course all of the above qualities are not exclusive to each company and it’s up to the consumer to really look into what they feel is the best choice for them. Also, this is not an exhaustive list; there are other manufacturers out there.
Finally a few pointers:
- Water-based paints may not contain solvents, but can still contain harmful chemicals.
- Just because it natural doesn’t mean its harmless. Natural ingredients can still be a hazard.
- Not all VOCs are bad – but most are.
- If it’s cheap, it’s probably not very good for you.
In summary then…
As you can see there are many different eco friendly paints, each claiming different desirable qualities. Choosing the right one will take a little research, and don’t forget; in all of this looking to see which is the best, do actually try the paint. That said, all of the above are better than buying a conventional paint that will ultimately be bad for you and the planet. If you don’t do the decorating yourself, bear in mind that you can source some eco-friendly paint and ask your decorators to use that particular brand. When choosing the colour with your decorator, remember that you can insist on a certain make of paint. After all, it’s you who will be living/working within that environment. Children’s bedrooms and nurseries will particularly benefit from zero VOC paints, but we’ll all benefit from paints that don’t harm the planet. So go on, go green… or pink… or taupe… or magenta…
If you would like more ideas of how to become greener visit our learning portal or check out our range of sustainable products in our online store.
References
[1] http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/how_tos/cyw_24_chemical_generation.pdf
