HOW ECO PAINT CAN IMPROVE YOUR INDOOR AIR QUALITY

There’s nothing like a new colour scheme or fresh coat of paint to reinvigorate your home’s interior.

But often, when you ponder the prospect of painting, there’s a few things to consider, including the type of paint you intend to use and its impact on your health, the environment, and the indoor air quality of your home.

That’s where eco-paints come in, offering an ideal, cost-effective alternative to traditional paint that helps those who are prone to allergies, and improves the overall indoor air quality of your property as well.

So what are eco-paints, how can they assist, and how do they stand up in comparison to traditional alternatives?

ECO-FRIENDLY PAINTS

Eco-friendly paints hit the market a few years ago and offer a wealth of benefits for the user, the property resident and the environment.

For a start, they’re made in a more environmentally friendly way, with fewer fumes and volatile organic compounds emitted during the manufacturing process. They also create less toxic waste during production.

The lack of fumes also has benefits during the application and drying phase. As environmentally friendly paint emits less fumes, it has less of an odour and minimises the risk of health-related side effects such as dizziness, headaches, and respiratory issues.

Ultimately, they also improve the air-quality of the areas where they’re applied, and that comes down to something known as low or very low-VOCs.

LOW VOC PAINT AND AIR QUALITY

As traditional paint dries, it releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are linked to a range of short and long-term health issues.

The list of compounds released during the traditional drying phase is long and includes acetone, toluene, and benzene.

In some cases, these cause respiratory issues, or dizziness and headaches. A number of these compounds are also known carcinogens.

HOW VOCS ARE MEASURED

Volatile Organic Compounds are measured by an independent third party known as the Australian Paint Approval Scheme, which carries out ongoing surveillance testing to confirm products comply with a national or international standard.

When it comes to VOCs, they have five classification levels:

• Very high – VOCs of above 250 grams per litre
• High – VOCs of 100-249 grams per litre
• Moderate – VOCs ranging from 50-99 grams per litre
• Low – VOCs of 5-49 grams per litre, and
• Very low – Paints with a VOC level of below 5 grams per litre

Eco-friendly paints are typically very low VOC or low VOC, meaning they contain few or very few volatile organic compounds.

This has benefits for those applying the paint or residing in the environment where that paint is used, and interestingly using eco-friendly paints can also help improve the environmental rating of a building, home or property overall.

A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CLEAN-UP

It’s not just in the manufacturing and application phase that eco-friendly paints offer a more sustainable alternative.

One of the big environmental problems of paint occurs during the clean-up when brushes or rollers are disposed of or washed, and the paint has the potential to enter waterways and landfill.

Courtesy of its reduced VOCs and less toxic ingredients, eco-paint is far less harmful to the environment during clean-up.

A LEADER IN THIS SPACE

Rockcote has long been a pioneer in the creation and manufacture of paints that are safer to use and better for the environment.

Our eco-style paints are classified as very low, making them among the best and safest paint options available.

In addition, they are also certified by eco-label and certification body Good Environmental Choice Australia, who have awarded Rockcote a green star for their low-VOC eco-style paints and note: “Choosing Green Star can help you save money, create a healthy place for people, minimise your environmental footprint and build a better future for us all”.

ECO PAINT IS A QUALITY, DURABLE OPTION

The great thing about eco-paints is that they are durable, hardy, and available in a full range of colours. In the process, they’re better for the environment, better for the applicator and better for the resident of the property.

They’re also a cost-effective option that improves the livability, sustainability, and eco-friendly credentials of any project.

You can view the complete range of Rockcote’s eco-friendly paints here.