Whether you have children with allergies or simply want to reduce the number of chemicals in your home, eco paint offers a wide range of benefits. Specially formulated to have lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), these paints help maintain healthy indoor air quality.
Plus, their smooth formulations shave time off your project with soap and water cleanup. Many options like Real Milk Paint mix well, allowing you to create custom colors.
Natural Ingredients
Often made from natural ingredients, eco-friendly paints offer a variety of benefits to homeowners. They have minimal environmental impact, are low-odor and contain no heavy metals or toxic biocides. Some are even made from recycled materials. Additionally, many are certified by Green Seal or the Greenguard Environmental Institute to ensure that they meet specific environmental and health standards.
Most traditional paints use additives to make them go on smoothly, dry faster, last longer, resist stains and scuffs or enhance some other quality. While these can be useful for some projects, they can also introduce toxins into the environment and pose health risks. Eco-friendly paints avoid the use of these additives, focusing instead on using natural oils and other organic compounds as stabilizers, driers and thickeners.
The main ingredient in any paint is pigment, which gives it its colour. To turn the pigment into a paint, however, you need a binder. The best binders for paint are natural, such as milk, casein, lime putty and cellulose (which comes from flour). Typically, you can find all these ingredients in your kitchen.
When choosing paint, look for products that are free of phthalates, formaldehyde, bisphenol A, urea, 1,3 butadiene and toluene, as well as crystalline quartz silica, alkyl phenolic compounds and biocides. You should also avoid products that are formulated with butyl, ethyl and petrolium solvents, or those containing polyvinyl chloride.
Low or No VOCs
Eco-friendly paints contain minimal volatile organic compounds (VOC), or chemicals that are released into the air when a paint dries. Traditional solvent-based finishes like nitrocellulose lacquers and varnishes can release a lot of VOCs into the air during application and cleanup, which contributes to indoor air pollution and health issues such as nose and throat irritation, allergic skin reactions, eye and lung problems, headaches, loss of coordination and nausea.
Choosing an environmentally conscious paint with low VOCs is a great way to improve indoor air quality, protect your family’s health and reduce your environmental footprint. While some brands claim to be low or zero VOC, it is important to read the label carefully, as there are strict guidelines that must be met for a product to be considered an eco friendly option.
Look for products that are GreenWise tested and certified, and those with a low or no VOC level of 5 grams or less per liter. The Natural Paint Company is a good example of a brand that meets these criteria. Their range of environmentally friendly paints are free from fungicides, insecticides, biocides, chlorine, chlorinated hydrocarbons, toluene, benzene, xylene and mineral spirits. They also support rainforest protection by protecting one square metre of the world’s rainforest for every tin of their paints, waxes and oils that is sold.
Water-Based
Water-based paints (sometimes known as latex) use water rather than oil to carry the pigment and binders. This makes them less toxic than traditional oil-based paints, which release strong fumes that can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. These vapors can also escape into the air and damage indoor air quality.
Low-odor formulations mean that these eco-friendly paints don’t leave a lingering smell, making them a good choice for use in areas where people live or work. They also dry quickly, so you can apply a second coat in one to six hours, which makes them ideal for projects that require speedy completion.
Look for a range of finishes to suit your needs, including matte and eggshell options. A high-quality water-based product should also be durable, with excellent adhesion to most surfaces and resistance to fading and peeling. You should also look for mildew resistance, which helps keep the finish fresh and hygienic.
Water-based paints are more sustainable than their oil counterparts, which can contain heavy solvents that can contaminate soil and drinking water supplies. This can cause serious health issues, including nausea, dizziness and respiratory problems, and can also harm the environment, as these compounds may seep into groundwater or escape into the atmosphere, causing damage to the earth’s ecosystems. Look for eco-friendly brands that produce their products using recycled materials and sustainable production processes to reduce their environmental impact.
Compostable
Paint can have a significant environmental impact, from its production to waste disposal. Eco-friendly and sustainable paints are designed to protect the environment and the health of your family while offering a wide variety of shades, brands and types, including interior and exterior formulations.
In addition to using natural, renewable and sustainable ingredients, eco-friendly paints also typically use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. This includes utilizing renewable energy sources, water conservation and waste reduction efforts. You can find more information about the sustainability features of your preferred paint by visiting its manufacturer website.
Nontoxic and safe for your kids and pets, some sustainable paint options include milk proteins and natural pigments to achieve bold color without damaging the environment. Smooth formulations that brush on effortlessly allow you to tackle your painting projects with confidence while delivering excellent coverage. Additionally, many of these healthy paints can be sealed with no-VOC sealants to help you maintain your environmentally friendly project through completion.
Unlike traditional paint, eco-friendly and sustainable paints are made from materials that can break down safely in the natural environment. By utilizing only natural raw materials like lemon peel extract, seed oil and beeswax as a base, these paints do not produce harmful chemicals during their manufacturing and product application processes. Moreover, utilizing water or alternative environmentally friendly materials as a solvent further cuts the risk of harmful VOC emissions.