Eco Friendly Paints

Part 2

Following on from Part 1 of the eco friendly paints articles..... This part of my webpage will look at each type of eco and natural paint, giving you the low down on each so that you can make an informed decision. Some paints and finishes claim to be natural, organic or non-toxic. As with all claims of eco-friendliness, be careful when choosing finishes as there are currently no legal requirements for manufacturers regarding toxic chemical content.

Eco friendly paints offer you the consumer an alternative to synthetic paint choices. Made from a range of renewable, natural and non toxic resources there are an increasingly good number of small to medium sized manufacturers and suppliers who offer eco ranges.

Without chemical additives such as heavy metal pigments, formaldehyde and petrochemicals, the Â‘fresh paint smellÂ’ is removed and replaced with more favourable smells like yogurt, lemon and oranges.

Manufacturing & environmental advantages

The extraction of natural raw materials such as vegetable and protein based paints do not have a negative effect on the surrounding natural environment. Eco paints do not use petroleum based chemicals in the mix which helps reduce the demand for this toxic non renewable resource. The manufacture of eco paints removes the need for high levels of multiple processing stages and any waste that is created is biodegradable. Overall eco paints have vastly lower levels of embodied energy than synthetic choices.

Health advantages

The benefits of eco paints are clear; a healthy interior for you and your family to live in with the reduced risk of developing illnesses and conditions from the release of chemical vapours and VOCs such as sick building syndrome, allergies and asthma. More seriously, by removing paints that contain carcinogens and neurotoxins you are removing the risk of cancer.

User advantages

Eco paints are 100% biodegradable and do not need to be securely stored in containers or disposed of in specialist facilities. Ingredients are shown in detail on natural paint labels, whereas most traditional paints do not declare all of the ingredients. Eco paints allow the walls, ceiling and woodwork surfaces to breathe, which increases the lifespan of wall materials and reduces trapped moisture and humidity.

User disadvantages

Eco paints and finishes can be more expensive and may require more coats for opacity. Natural paints have a longer drying time and are more difficult to apply. The user must take care with eco paints even though they are deemed safe, they are not 100% harmless.

Synthetic paints summary

Contract paints do not provide a list of all of the ingredients on the labels. All non drip paints contain polyurethane, a plastic component which releases VOCs and contains chemical solvents. The manufacture of synthetic paints creates a phenomenal amount of waste and VOCs.