They actively promote the use of eco friendly paints, their commitment to the environments is real and therefore a company policy is in place to confirm their commitment
- Explore and educate themselves on the use of eco friendly products.
- Educate their customers on the benefits using eco friendly paints.
- Source quality products at fair prices allowing customers an alternative to petroleum based paints without having a high cost to pay.
- Gather information on eco friendly products and update their web site on a regular basis with information regarding health benefits
- Supply eco friendly paints on their online shop.
The benefits of eco friendly products are vast - on top of this the feel good factor knowing these products help to protect the planet for the future generation.
The overview provided in this section is an abridged summary of a number of publications researched and published on the internet. The links to these and other articles can be found at the end of this section.
What is eco paint?
Eco paint is made from natural and organic raw materials. Eco paint is organically based, non toxic, water soluble, used in wall and floor finishes. It contains no petrochemical solvents, fungicides, acrylics, vinyl's or preservatives and are good news for your home and environment. It is produced in accordance with the principles of sustainable organic chemistry and as a consequence when compared to decorating an average home with conventional mass market petrochemical based paints, it can help reduce your carbon footprint by up to 30Kg
Why should they use environmentally friendly & healthier paints?
For many years people worked with lead-based paints. Soon research brought to light its harmful effects. The paint industry found a new alternative in an acrylic form still used today. However this product still uses solvents which can be harmful and irritating to those that use it and those who are around it.
A report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) linked working with solvent-based paints with an increased risk of developing cancer. The IRAC said "exposure to solvent-based paints is carcinogenic (group1)" Scandinavian countries were aware of this and moved towards solvent-free based paints. In Denmark their paints are 90% water-based. Most of the ingredients used in synthetic paint are derived from crude oil or mined from minerals which are non renewable, and hence unsustainable. Synthetic paint manufacture is extremely wasteful, producing 10 times their own weight in toxic waste, i.e. for one tonne of paint, 10 tonnes of toxic waste is created.
Synthetic paints are primarily a product of the petro-chemical industry, and are manufactured by mixing and blending a range of ingredients in a solvent. In some cases the ingredients may be suspended in water rather than a solvent, but this will often result in additional complex chemicals being added in order to amalgamate the oil based compounds with the water based solution. The main environmental impacts of conventional paints are:
- They are the products of complex petro-chemical processes and ingredients.
- Additives are used for pigments, binding agents, hardeners, dryers, thickeners, surficants, anti-foaming agents, emulsifiers, fungicides, etc
VOCs are used as solvents and evaporate rapidly contributing to atmospheric pollution, particularly to accumulations of low level ozone. (In 1999 the EC adopted key proposals for directives on national emission ceilings and ground-level ozone air quality targets, and the UNECE has also been working on emissions targets). Strippers and cleansers, such as white spirit and meths, are highly toxic to the environment and to sewage systems.
Health impacts from the toxic ingredients of paints include: depression of the central nervous system, causing headaches, nausea and giddiness, and irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory track, asthma, anaemia and bronchitis. In 1989 the world health organization (WHO) reported that painting as an occupation was carcinogenic. Painters suffered from lung cancer 40% above the average and their children, too, were more prone to cancer.
In the indoor environment of buildings there is off-gassing from ingredients used in building materials, paints and furniture, and also from equipment. This may result in poor indoor air quality, particularly in a well insulated building where the drafts have been eradicated. The effect on the people using the building may be lowered vitality, more asthma and respiratory illnesses, headaches, and other symptoms of what has now come to be known as Sick Building Syndrome.Paints can be broadly divided into 4 groups in ascending order of environmental acceptability:
- petroleum origin solvent based paints (most conventional paints petroleum or largely petroleum origin).
- water based paints.
- mineral based paints.
- plant based paints.
Ecologically, there is practically nothing to recommend the first group, except perhaps durability. The second group, now quite common, were developed in response to concerns about the solvents used in conventional mixes. Water based paints are preferable in this regard, and are certainly less harmful to decorators, but as mentioned above, their manufacture is arguably more environmentally damaging due to an extremely complicated series of processes and additional chemicals that are required to comply with accepted performance specifications. Mineral and plant based paints can be considered to be generally environmentally benign (although minerals are not renewable), but in some cases there can be disadvantages, such as durability, drying time, ease of application and cost.
The current housing boom, accompanied by a plethora of DIY and 'makeover' TV programmes, has encouraged us to decorate our homes more than ever before. But the resultant surge in paint sales has consequences for both the environment and human health. This report assesses some of the environmental claims behind both conventional and 'natural' paints which are used to decorate interior walls (emulsions) and woodwork (glosses). It does not cover exterior, metallic, masonry paint or varnish, although some of the companies featured also produce these.
Health and the need for Eco-Friendly and Odourless Paints
A report from the Union of Construction Allied Trades & Technicians (UCATT) published the results of a survey about people working with solvent-based paints, including the DIY sector. It reported on harmful effects that were due to solvent-based paints. The most common symptoms from these were:
- headaches
- giddiness
- nausea
- runny eyes
By using eco friendly and odourless paints you can eliminate these undesirable effects.
Are these paints expensive?
Natural paint isn't actually much more expensive than the usual branded solvent paints. Some natural paints are cheaper than solvent-based paints.
Information from Tynemouth Decorators.
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