If you are considering eco-friendly paints for your home, our monthly columnist, British furniture designer, ecology expert, Sebastian Cox, is worth following as he maps out your home renovation, an inspiring and innovative eco-friendly idea at the same time.
Each month, she delves into the ways we can all make a difference within our homes, and this month we asked her to look at eco-friendly paints.
Before buying a home and thinking about paint ideas, as well as the square footage of the wall covering, Sebastian had put paint low on the list of concerns when considering sustainability, thinking it’s just one coat. thin material that has a small impact. However, like everything else, when you expand it has an impact, and with millions of cans of paint sold each year, Sebastian recognized that it needed a bit of scrutiny and exploration.
With a market saturated with paint brands, all with various green credentials, Sebastian researched the green paint market.
“When I approached Edward Bulmer’s office, my nerves reached their peak,” says Sebastian. ‘Edward is on a mission to change the paint industry, and I certainly don’t want to hold him back for a minute too long. I had a few questions ready, but we actually resonated so fast that they weren’t really necessary. ‘
(Image credit: Future | Alun Callender)
Why are regular paints a problem for the environment and us?
‘I discovered Edward Bulmer when he was on the panel of the Houses and gardens Design Awards, and I am very grateful that I did. Only months later, my wife Brogan, pregnant with our second baby, would be painting the ground floor of our house and, thanks to that discovery, she would not breathe in excessive volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can compromise the health of unborn babies.
“There are many low-VOC paints on the market today that offer a healthier painting experience, but few are derived from completely natural sources, such as Edward’s paints.”
What are VOCs?
VOCs are volatile organic compounds, carbon-based chemicals, found in common paint. As the painting continues, the VOCs are released into the air (hence the ‘paint’ smell you can detect). Some paints have higher VOC levels than others and can cause nausea and worsen asthma symptoms, among other side effects. VOC release doesn’t stop when paint is dry; its broadcast can continue long afterwards.
How are eco-friendly paints different from normal paints?
“Edward explained to me that industrially produced paint started as a by-product of refining fossil fuels,” continues Sebastian Cox. “In recent decades, these oil-based paints were gradually replaced by high-performance plastic emulsions suspended in water, which have become the ubiquitous and seemingly unquestionable wallcovering of today.
“Making water-based paint seems like a good step forward for this industry, but synonymising the term with ecological benignity is perhaps a red herring. Using only naturally derived ingredients – cornstarch, beech cellulose, and clay and earth pigments, for example – is a leap that only pioneers are taking so far.
“It wouldn’t take much for the rest of the industry to switch to a plastic-free formula,” Edward said, acknowledging that mission accomplished also means his pioneering position is waned.
How are ecological paints used?
When Brogan opened our cans of Edward Bulmer to see the interior colors, what surprised both of us was the lack of odor.
“ It was almost unnerving to open a can of odorless paint, cautiously pressing our noses to the surface of the ocher yellow to see if it was real. When Brogan started applying it, carefully following the application instructions as it requires some skill, there was no fragrance left and we began to question the durability of the product, thinking there must be a catch.
“I will report on the durability once our child has had a year to test it.”
What are the best eco paints and why?
‘With durability in mind, what should our priorities be when examining paint and sustainability? There are no industry-wide regulations on making ‘green’ or ‘green’ claims on paint, unlike the relative clarity of certified organic food, for example. ‘
These, however, are the elements of the best eco paints, plus where to buy them.
- Low VOC content: ‘Certainly VOCs are a concern for our personal health, and paint companies in general have reduced them at an impressive rate. Eico, Little Greene, Farrow & Ball, Earthborn and Edward Bulmer all seem to do well here. ‘
- Natural alternatives to fossil resources: ‘I also think we should stay away from materials derived from fossil resources where there are natural alternatives, and we should be concerned about what happens when we wash our brushes – anything that contains acrylic or other plastics obviously puts tiny plastic molecules in our water. system. Edward’s paints omit the fossil-derived acrylic, so make it my first choice alongside lime paints like Bauwerk and Graphenstone, which we’ll be testing elsewhere in our house.
- Low production impact: ‘Farrow & Ball appears to be a larger producer striving for less impact on production, recycling 100% of its dry waste and 97% of its liquid waste and has a water treatment facility on site, but Eico, who runs his factory with geothermal energy, seems unbeatable here, although his product is made in Iceland and is 100% acrylic, allowing him to choose his environmental priorities. ‘
- Ingredients posted on the tub.: ‘Amidst many claims and counterclaims, the brands that really stand out for me are those that post their ingredients on the can (or in the tub, by the way, recyclable plastic tubs have a lower carbon footprint than a can!), And those that have a high accreditation of recognized organizations. ‘
- Reduce consumption with a quality-first approach: ‘Perhaps, as always, reducing our consumption is the best starting point when thinking about sustainable living and choosing colors that last, avoiding short-term interior design trends and instead responding to a space, its look and use, it might be the biggest impact you can have. ‘
While it feels like a burden to decide, it’s also exciting to see smaller players in a large industry challenging their peers and leading change.
What other types of ecological paints are there?
Other types of eco-friendly paint include casein, clay, lime, mineral and vegetable paints, and vegan. They are all made from natural products: casein paint uses milk proteins, mineral paints are made with natural pigments, for example, usually mixed with water for low VOCs. None are widely available, but specialty brands do sell them.
Try Emery & Cie for a wide range of colors in their range of casein acrylic paints, Earthborn for clay paints and Edward Bulmer for plant-based paints. Lakeland Paints is a great one-stop-shop for vegan paints.