Painting with the Environment in Mind

Sudden storms, flash floods and other recent weather occurrences are telling signs of Mother Nature’s health. The good news is that multiple efforts are being done, and that everyone’s in on the mission to nurse nature back to health.

Even as a homemaker with a paint project in the works, you can do something for the movement. Read on for a short feature with tips on using environment-friendly paint.

Environment-Friendly Paint: Truth or Just Marketing?

Green, eco-friendly and related terms have become buzzwords and product label staples that refer to an item being sustainable and safe for the environment. These terms have been used so much that, even with control measures, it’s hard to separate real good-for-the-Earth products from those that are just jumping on the bandwagon.

For paints, there is such a thing as environment-friendly paint.  And these are the ones that limit or disregard using VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in their formulation.

The Harmful Effects of VOCs in Paint

VOCs are unstable, carbon-containing compounds that mix with air and produce ozone. Once a staple in paint formulation to ensure high performance, these gases are one of the main causes of air pollution.

With paint, the off-gassing process or the release of VOCs is continuous. It starts once paint is applied on surfaces, and lasts for a while after the coating dries.

Not only are VOCs damaging to the environment, they’re also bad for you and your loved ones’ health. These gases are associated with serious health effects such as asthma, respiratory irritation and even cancer. It’s also being studied to cause what’s called the “Sick Building Syndrome” or a condition linked to poor indoor air quality where you feel sick with migraines, fatigue and discomfort.

Starting to worry about using paint for your home? Opting for a low VOC paint is your safe alternative. Paints such as Island Life has little to no VOCs, minimizing if not eliminating the health risks of exposing loved ones to the fumes of standard industrial paint.

Painting with Health and Environment in Mind

Painting with the environment in mind may start with picking paint that has low to no VOCs in it, but the effort for eco-friendly painting does not end there. Here are more of what you can do:

• Less Waste, Less Damage
  Add it as a permanent item to your paint project planning to always calculate how much paint you’ll need. If you are left wit too much, don’t throw your leftover paint. Best to store properly and save for another paint project. Did you know that you can mix premixed colors and standard whites, and use them for ceilings and trim?

• Donating Also Works
  No paint projects coming soon? You can always choose to donate to a neighbor, schools and small communities that need the extra bucket.

• Dispose Properly
  It’s never a good idea to throw old paint, thinner or solvents down the drain. Dry it out in the sun or with a paint hardener. Make sure it’s completely dried out before throwing with the rest of regular trash.

Participating in the worldwide movement to restore nature’s health doesn’t require big actions. With these suggestions on environment-friendly painting, not only do we help out in healing nature, we make our homes safer for those who matter.

Best for interior living spaces that require extra protection from health-threatening diseases,  Island Life is a premium environment-friendly formulation that has low odor and low VOC with anti-microbial properties.

Island Premium Paints is the first and only locally produced paint with a Product Satisfaction Guarantee.