Eco-friendly paint – getting to the point

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor pollution is between 2 and 5 times higher than outdoor pollution.

The main culprits are compounds of biological origin (bacteria, moulds, natural allergens), chemical origin (carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, lead, etc.), gas, smoking, etc.

Paints are an undeniable source of indoor pollution, particularly because they release VOCs to a greater or lesser extent. That’s why today we want to talk about eco-friendly paint and its impact on health and the environment.

What is eco-friendly paint?

Paint is said to be “ecological” when it meets the requirements of respect for the environment.

It must have no impact on the environment, from the raw materials through to manufacture and end of life. Ecological paint, or natural paint, is paint that has been specially designed to have lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs for short).

You know that distinctive paint smell you get when you open new packaging or walk into a freshly painted room? That’s the V.O.C. you’re smelling. They can have harmful effects on your health in the short and long term. High concentrations can persist in the air for up to 5 years after the activity has ceased.

V.O.C.s are the main reason why paint manufacturers advise only working in well-ventilated areas.

Natural paint

A natural paint must contain at least 95% natural products. As far as possible, the raw materials used should come from renewable natural resources.

There are no chemical additives in natural paints. Instead of petrochemical resins, we find resins of vegetable or mineral origin (clay, lime, vegetable oil, casein, soya, etc.). These resins are mixed with water and mineral fillers to give them consistency. Mineral fillers can include chalk or marble powder.

As no solvent is completely harmless, natural solvents (balsamic turpentine, citrus distillates, etc.) can also cause dermatological problems. Some natural paints contain no solvents, only water. This is the case with lime and clay paints.

If you read “V.O.C. free” on the label of a natural paint, don’t think that the paint contains no V.O.C. at all, because it is technically impossible to do without it. This term is used for V.O.C. levels of less than 5g per litre.

Making your own eco-friendly paint

There are lots of tutorials on how to make paint using cheap, environmentally-friendly materials – why not give it a try one day when you’re reconfiguring…

Eco-friendly paint or conventional paint?

Acrylic paints and conventional glycerine paints contain more non-natural elements and emit more VOCs than organic paints. The pigments used to create the colours can also be dangerous at certain levels, as many are made from heavy metals.

Exterior paints and paints designed for damp rooms may also contain fungicides, while many paint brands contain a biocide to extend the life of the product.

Although traditional paints have to meet specific legal requirements for toxic ingredients to be considered safe for humans, they appear to be more harmful to people and the environment

Advantages of eco-friendly paint :

• no odour
• less harmful to health (contains no heavy metals or solvents)
• use of fewer allergenic components
• reduced V.O.C. emissions
• good covering power
• lets the substrate breathe
• washable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly
• easy recycling

Disadvantages of eco-friendly paint :

• less coverage than conventional paints
• application sometimes more difficult and less effective
• sometimes more limited colour palette

Painting and the environment

We have already seen the problem of paint in terms of human health. But on a larger scale, conventional paints pose a greater environmental problem.

The problem of pollution

Paint has a variety of impacts on the environment. Traditional paint materials and processes can have adverse effects on the environment, particularly those associated with the use of lead and other additives.

Measures can be taken to reduce the impact on the environment, including the accurate estimation of paint quantities to minimise waste, and the use of environmentally friendly paints, coatings, accessories and painting techniques.

Since 2010, European standards have required manufacturers to comply with low V.O.C. levels in order to be more environmentally friendly (less than 30g of V.O.C. per litre of paint). This is why oil-based paints are increasingly being replaced by water-based paints.

Paint recycling

All these products have an environmental and health impact. They must not be mixed with our household waste, at the risk of contaminating it.

They must be specially treated to avoid polluting the air and soil.

Find out more in our article: How to recycle paint properly? That’s why it’s important to dispose of used paint pots at a waste collection centre or in special containers.

To sum up:

• Used cans of conventional paint should be taken to a waste collection centre because of their toxicity, for specific treatment.
• Eco-friendly paint pots can be disposed of with household waste.

Recycled acrylic paint

And while we’re on the subject of ecology, a quick aside about recycled paint.

A French company, Circouleur, recycles the bottoms of acrylic paint pots to make a new quality paint that is less expensive than top-of-the-range paints.

The bottoms of the cans are reprocessed and reconditioned in such a way that the VOCs are less present in the recycled paint.

So you can do your bit for the planet during your next interior renovation project.

What about machines and accessories?

Finally, there is the legitimate question of the pollution caused by the use of brushes and paint stations.

Is it better for the environment to use an airless pump or paint rollers? How can the electronics and plastic materials used in these tools be recycled?

Productivity is often achieved at the expense of environmental protection. While metal can be recycled many times over, this is not the case for all the plastics that often make up an airless pump.

So don’t neglect the ecological impact of the components in your machines, and opt for those with the most recyclable materials. And above all, invest in professional equipment that won’t break down after 3 uses.

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