How environmentally friendly is paint ?
Modern coatings are improving all the time with real emphasis on sustainability and carbon footprint. Unfortunately not all paint is Environmentally friendly .. Things are improving greatly with many more superb water borne coatings coming in to the market replacing the traditional solvent products which are better for the environment.
Consider this though !!
Paint / Coatings protect our world and prevents the need to replace items as often by offering lasting protection to the substrate to which it is applied this in some essence, is creating a more Eco friendly environment. Not cutting trees down for windows, furniture, housing we are not forging new metal components or replacing items due to rot or corrosion which has huge impacts on planetary resources not just the mining or de-forestation but transportation, manufacturing to make new things.
Paint is not just a cheery colour to brighten our day. Most all paint has a serious job to do which many of us do not even consider as we pass by or touch it … it is just there. It protects our world.
Paint is generally a very thin layer of protection not much thicker than cling film in some cases but it is always caring for the surface on which it is applied, Wood, Metal, Plastic, Brick, Plaster .. think of all the places we apply paint or you see a coating, Ships, Aeroplanes, Cars, Bridges, Windows, Doors, Furniture, Oil rigs, Wind turbines almost everything has a protective layer of paint upon it. I am often told in my day to day job ” Well paint is just paint it doesn’t matter much ” .. It matters greatly if you want something to last, there are many types of paint with specific roles to play, the paint on the Forth Road Bridge is not the same as the paint on your living room wall, but we call it paint .. Paint is a blanket name for a coating. Paint protects our world in as many ways as you can imagine, We supply hygiene coatings suitable for use in Hospitals, Care homes, Schools, Kitchens effectively inhibit the spread of viruses and germs such as Ecoli, MRSA. The coatings on ships, bridges, cars, metal work, work to prevent corrosion. Coatings don’t just protect the hull, using the correct coating on something like the large container or oil carrying ships for instance can reduce fuel consumption considerably saving thousands of dollars per year in fuel, the coating prevents costly repairs and time lost removing fungal growth below the water line meaning the vessel in is in service longer making it more cost effective and efficient. The coating applied to the top surface of an oil tanker which offers high solar reflective properties prevents crude oil evaporation from the hold saving VOC’s being omitted in to the atmosphere which means more of the cargo arrives at the end of the journey, money saving, ozone saving.
Coatings around the home are equally important protecting our wooden windows, doors, furniture adding longevity to our everyday items meaning we do not need replace them so often.
Yes some paints are not as environmentally friendly as others, typically solvent based coatings due to the VOC ( Volatile Organic Compound ) levels these omit solvent vapour in to the atmosphere. Water based paint is considered to be more environmentally friendly, any paint with low or virtually no VOC is better for the environment.
Water Based or Solvent Based Paint – The term is actually slightly incorrect, it should be Water Borne or Solvent Borne which is a better description. Paint is made up of a number of components Binder, Resin, Colourant, Polymers, Carrier ….  The Carrier could be Solvent ( White spirit, Meths, Cellulose ) or Water the ingredients are merely suspended in the Carrier to get them from the tin to the substrate, once they evaporate you are left with similar components Binder, Resin, Colourant, Polymers…..
Which is the Best Paint Solvent ?? or Water ?? We would argue based on the fact both evaporate within hours of the coating being applied there is little difference on performance, generally speaking if you have an inferior coating it maybe best to make sure you have the right paint for the job and with over 30 years in the industry no manufacturer makes a bad paint but we come across many applications where the wrong paint choice has been made, possibly due to the consumer not being fully aware of the right coating / paint for the job. If you are unsure ask, there are no daft questions in the world. I have no understanding of plumbing or electrics but I can be the most boring man at parties when asked about paint, we don’t know everything but will help and if we don’t know the answers we will do our best to find out .. ” Every day is a School day ”
All things considered as with many industries the coatings industry does pollute but it also performs a positive environmental function in protecting and decorating the surfaces around us.
A little Check list to follow for more Environmental finishes.
- Products low in VOC’s
- The right coating for the job
- Water Borne paints are better
- Only buy as much as you need ( reduce waste )
- Ask – some coatings applied correctly reduce the frequency of re-decoration
The M1-label tells that the products meet M1-classification for low emission and odour to maintain good indoor air quality. Building materials and paints used indoors can be classified into three classes, of which M1 is the gold standard, according to the compounds they emit. The M1 class includes low-emission paint products and materials
from which only very small amounts of compounds evaporate into the air of the room. The classification is done by the Finnish Building Information Foundation.
We have used a link to the BCF ( British Coatings Federation ) to explain VOC’s a little better
Teknos are one of the first paint manufacturers in Europe to publish an environmental declaration for ranges of their paint.
Teknos Environmental Declaration
Teknos Paints and the Environment