largie.com

My first thought was how can paint be organic? Isnt that for vegetables?

I did some more research & found that the term organic can be a highly misleading term when applied to paint so many companies dont use it & tend to use the term eco or natural instead. Unlike the food & textile industry, there is currently no legally defined standard or recognised certification scheme in place for organic paints just like soap pods (what are soap pods I hear you ask?).

It is possible for some organically grown plants to be utilised in the manufacture of some of the natural paints & to obtain organic pigments from some plants & insects, but these are not ideally suited to use in paint because they tend to fade.

It has been found that ingredients such as the solvents, acrylics & acrylic softeners used in most conventional paints are hazardous both to health & the environment as paints consist essentially of pigments (the colourant), the binding agent (which binds the colourant to the surface) & of solvents, (which keep the paint in suspension until applied). As the paint dries the solvent evaporates & leaves the dried paint on the surface. This process is the same with all paints.

But as the paint begins to dry, components called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air causing toxic air pollution (that nasty smell) & increasing your chances of becoming chemically sensitive. These & other chemical compounds can cause chest complaints, aggravate allergies, contribute to the greenhouse effect & pollute the environment.

Most paint manufacturers set out to make a paint that is non toxic & doesnt give off VOCs so it will be a safe paint for humans as well as environmentally safe. Unfortunately, research has found that most organic paints & components release VOCs.

The vital difference between conventional paint & eco/natural paints lies in using as many eco friendly & natural ingredients as possible as pigments, binding agents & solvents.

People should also look to buy paints made in their own country as not just does it reduce the pollution caused by the transport of the end products & sometimes the raw materials, it also supports a more local approach to purchasing goods & services.

Find organic in the GuideMeGreen Directory.

Davinos Greeno works for the organic & ethical directory that lists 100s of Organic & Ethical Companies & we also have Organic Articles for you to read or publish.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.