• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Dave's DIY Tips

Home Improvement and DIY Guides

  • Home Maintenance
  • Decorating
  • Garden DIY
  • DIY Tools
  • How to Fit a Kitchen

Eco-Friendly Paints for a Sustainable Future

Before we get into the topic of eco-friendly paints, let’s take a look at the current landscape.

Toxic and dangerous. Two words that describe some of the ingredients present in modern paints. They’re bad for human health and damaging to the environment.

The ingredients that give paint its colour often contain cadmium, chromium and lead. Binders, which hold the paint together, sometimes contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is a category of elements that includes benzene and formaldehyde. These harmful ingredients are also often present in the carriers which disperse the binders within the paint.

paint pots
Image by André Zivic from Pixabay

Once you open the pot and apply the paint to a surface, highly toxic particles escape into the atmosphere. Where they can remain a danger to health for years. 

The list of problems VOCs can cause is a long and worrying one: kidney infections, headaches, asthma and cancer are just some of the diseases and afflictions on the list. Small wonder that paint manufacturers are eager to find a non-toxic, eco-friendly paint alternative. 

Legislation designed to protect the environment and human health has certainly forced manufacturers of toxic paints to cut down the VOCs present in their products. But there is still no regulation compelling paints to be totally VOC-free.

Consumer demand is at the forefront of change. Stop buying toxic paint and the manufacturers will soon stop making it. 

Many are already releasing non-toxic paint alternatives, which is definitely a step in the right direction. To label this new wave of eco-friendly paint as 100% ‘non-toxic’ is wrong. ‘Less toxic’ is a better description because many paint formulas still contain VOCs.

Is your paint toxic?

A trip down the paint aisle at your local DIY store will soon reveal a plethora of ‘non-toxic’ claims from paint manufacturers. VOC-free. Low VOC. No VOC. Green. Natural. Organic. Odourless. You’re likely to encounter all these claims and more.

All try to reassure the health and environmentally-conscious buyer, but the absence of labelling standards or strict regulations is leading to a VOC free-for-all, and consumer confusion. You might think the paint you’re buying is totally safe and non-toxic when, in fact, it contains low-levels of VOCs.

To inform and educate consumers, eco-friendly paint manufactures work with eco-focused labels. Their aim is to teach people that what’s in the tin adheres to environmental and sustainability standards in a particular country.

In the United States there’s a green seal and Greenguard. Germany has its blue angel. Other European nations use the eco-label. And in the UK eco-friendly paint manufacturers use the product’s label to inform customers. The amounts vary from Minimal VOC content (less than 0.29%) up to Very High (more than 50%).

Whatever labelling system your sustainably-sourced paint features, it’s encouraging to see paint makers taking steps to reduce VOCs. Products with low levels often replace the petrochemical solvents traditionally used as carriers with water, minimising damaging emissions.

There is only one paint that’s guaranteed non-toxic – natural paint

If you are seeking sustainable paint that you can be sure contains zero VOCs, natural paint is the product to choose. As the name suggests, only naturally occurring elements form the ingredients – plant dyes, minerals and vegetable oil among them.

Instead of using chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde as binders, natural paints use ingredients such as lime and milk to do the job. Natural minerals provide the colouring, chalk does the thickening and oils and fruits add the fragrance.

Some paint manufacturers are going a step further by combining these eco-friendly ingredients with modern materials like Graphene, to create super-strong and durable paint. One such example is Graphenstone, a low toxic, VOC-free paint that, amazingly, actually removes CO2 from the atmosphere.

Naturally beneficial natural paint

With ingredients such as those outlined above, it’s clear that natural paints are sustainable. Furthermore, they won’t harm those who apply the paint or live in the places that use it. Those who suffer allergic reactions to the chemicals in traditional paint will also be spared any ill-effects.

Natural paints like Graphenstone don’t bubble or crack over time because eco-friendly paint is naturally porous and breathable. Moisture doesn’t get trapped behind the paint after it’s applied because it escapes through it. Avoiding the unsightly peeling and flaking caused by trapped moisture in other paints. What’s more, natural paints are biodegradable. So they won’t release damaging particles into the atmosphere during or after application.

Any watch-outs when buying natural paint?

It won’t take you long while you’re down that DIY aisle to see that natural paints carry a heftier price tag than their standard, more toxic predecessors. Currently, manufacturers create eco-friendly paints in smaller quantities, thus affecting their price. But as they increase in popularity, production levels will increase and the price will drop as a result.

Also, natural paint colour ranges are currently limited, and drying times can take up to a day longer. A small price to pay, some would say, for paint that doesn’t harm the environment or cause health problems for years after application.

The future of natural paint

With so many areas of life being subject to scrutiny in terms of their affects on public health and the environment, the future of paint has to be VOC-free. And that means natural paint is destined to increase in popularity, and decrease in price as a result.

Suppliers of eco-friendly paint will continue to create their paints using materials from sustainable sources, while minimising the impact their manufacturing processes, packaging and products have on the environment. 

But until all paints feature natural ingredients, it falls on the consumer to vote with their wallets and choose a guaranteed VOC-free natural paint solution to limit the damage to the world around them, as well as their own well-being.

To find out more about environmentally-friendly paints for all kinds of situations and surfaces, please visit Graphenstone UK

More painting and decorating guides you might like

  • How to Use a Steamer to Remove Wallpaper
  • The 3 Best Types of Paint for Interior Wood
  • How to Clean Paintbrushes (Water and Oil-Based Paint)
  • How to Wallpaper a Room Step-by-Step
  • How to Plaster a Wall – A Guide for Beginners
  • How to Paint Skirting Boards
  • The DIY Guide to Wallpapering Feature Walls
  • How to Paint Interior Doors Like a Pro
  • 10 Tips for Painting Walls and Ceilings Like a Pro
  • Plastering Tools
  • How to Hang Lining Paper – A Complete Guide!
  • How to Repair Cracked or Damaged Plaster on Internal Walls
  • A Guide to the Different Types of Plaster
  • How to Prepare and Paint Walls and Ceilings
  • How to Prepare Interior Woodwork for Painting
  • How to Calculate How Much Wallpaper You Need to Decorate a Room
  • Home Decorating Equipment – The Tools and Gear You Need

Was this post helpful?

Let us know if you liked the post. That’s the only way we can improve.

This article was last updated on December 3, 2020 Filed Under: Painting & Decorating

Footer

About Dave’s DIY Tips

Dave's DIY Tips is all about helping beginner and intermediate DIYers learn more about all aspects of home improvement.

Categories

  • Corded Drills
  • Cordless Drills
  • DIY Projects
  • DIY Tools
  • Garden DIY
  • Home Maintenance
  • Painting & Decorating
  • Power Drills
  • Power Tools
  • Sanders

Recent Posts

  • 5 of the Best Belt Sanders
  • 5 of the Best Drywall Sanders
  • 5 of the Best DeWalt Cordless Sanders
  • 10 of the Best Cordless Detail Sanders
  • 10 of the Best Detail Sanders

About | Sitemap | Contact | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

Dave’s DIY Tips is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.

Copyright © 2021

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.