paint
Sustainable paint
We pose the question to some of South Africa’s top paint manufacturers:
“What makes for a sustainable paint?” Johann Gerber discovers their answers.
“I think before one can answer this
ranging from cleaning fluids, deodorants,
This is due to household cleaning products,
question, we need to look at the meaning
paints and coatings and are a major concern
aerosols disinfectants, and even mothballs
of environmentally friendly in our
for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
being used on a daily basis. Levels can increase
industry. Simply put, it refers to the products
These compounds have been found to be the
by a 1 000 times when painting or paint
that contribute to green living or practices
major contributing factor to ozone, a common
stripping is being done, and these levels will
that help conserve resources such as water
air pollutant that has been proven to be a
remain for many hours after the painting has
and energy. These products then also prevent
health hazard to all.
been completed.
contributions to air, water and land pollution,”
While ozone in the upper atmosphere is
says Frank Wagner, Marketing Manager from
beneficial, ozone at ground
Dulux Trade South Africa.
level is quite the opposite.
The painters or the individuals that are
Tony Onwood from Harlequin Paints
The atmospheric ozone layer
What makes sense when
selecting a sustainable paint?
tackled our question from a different angle.
helps protect us from the
“Lets reword it and say, “what makes an
suns dangerous ultraviolet
There are three simple questions that need to be
environmentally aware paint” or EAP,”
rays. Ground level ozone
answered when assessing how sustainable a paint is.
asks Onwood. He then continued by
however, is a highly reactive
When you know what’s in it, how long it lasts, and how
investigating what it is that makes paint non-
gas that according to the EPA
much you need, you can make a realistic judgement
environmentally aware.
studies affects the normal
The simple answer to that is the formulation
during its manufacturing process. Products
such as Formaldehyde are often used as a
functions of the lung in many
healthy people.
about its sustainability.
What’s in it?
ICI Paints AkzoNobel (UK) and Forum for the Future (UK)
Ozone has been a difficult
have worked together to identify important goals for a
biocide. Solvents that contain high levels of
pollutant to control because
more sustainable paint including the reduction of both
VOC and of course the process of manufacture.
it is not emitted into the
There’s no point making an EAP when during
air; it is actually formed in
Organic Compounds (VOCs). In addition, together they
the manufacture of that paint, for example, the
the atmosphere through
developed a tool called the Environmental Impact
paint company pump contaminated water or
a photochemical process.
solvents into the watercourses or drains. Then
It is in this process that
the impact of its manufacture outweighs any
VOCs play a significant role.
benefit of the product.
Compounds in the air react
Furthermore just because a paint company
embodied carbon and Volatile
Analyser (EIA), an essential tool for our formulating
chemists, and measures a range of contributors to
environmental inpact.
How long does it last?
Some products last longer and therefore extend
with oxides of nitrogen and
maintenance cycles. Using durable products will
makes one or two EAP and the rest of the
sunlight to form ozone;
ultimately have less impact on the environment by
range is based on conventional high VOC-level
therefore by controlling the
reducing not only the quantity of the paint used over
paints, that does not make an environmentally
VOC this will be an effective
the long-term but elements such as the environmental
friendly paint company. So what are VOC or
method of minimising ozone
impact of decoration (vans, travel etc), left-over paint
Volatile Organic Compound? “VOC in paints
levels.
are the solvents used to assist the drying
VOC levels are generally
process, so to the end user the smell of paint,”
found to be up to five times
explains Onwood.
higher in the home or
VOCs are found in many different products
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HARDWARE AFRICA 2013
workplace than the outdoors.
and waste packaging.
How much do you need?
Choosing a product with a higher spreading rate without
compromising on opacity will mean it goes further, so
you ultimately use less of the product.