4th February 2022 | IN DESIGN ADVICE | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn Identifying genuinely sustainable and ecological paint brands requires some careful research and checking. But it’s worth it! At stake is both the health of our planet and those that inhabit your space. Here Graphenstone presents a few key pointers: Do they claim ‘Low VOC’ levels or ‘Ultra-Low’? Low VOC can be as high at 30-50 grams per litre! Low VOC is a misnomer, it’s nothing like low enough. Even low or Ultra Low VOC products can contain other harmful additives and chemicals. What evidence does the brand offer to validate their sustainability claims? Check to see if they provide Toxicological or Ecological data, or does it simply say ’No data available’ or not reference it? Window-dressing; does the brand highlight positives like planting trees, or removing plastic from oceans, while explicitly avoiding any reference to their manufacturing process, the paints products themselves or their carbon footprint? Some brand use these distractions to window dress to shift your attention from other more damaging, un-ecological aspects of their offering. Are there Independent certifications available from recognised ‘harm-free’ product evaluation agencies? These are essential to verify claims. ’Trust but Verify’ as Ronald Reagan, US President, once famously stated. Are the paints genuinely petro-chemical, micro-bead and plastic free? Micro-beads are so damaging to the global ecology of rivers and oceans and the scientific evidence is now clear that these tiny plastic particles are now falling globally, onto land, via ‘plastic rain’. Do they list ingredients with no verification from recognised, respected third party product evaluation agencies? How can you know if those really are the only ingredients? Check their certifications for independent evidence to confirm that all ingredients are ‘harm-free’ and healthy. The paint industry is one of the most polluting globally. Billions of Kilo’s of VOC’s released annually into our precious atmosphere. For every ton of paint manufactured, the WHO claim that there’s 30 tons of waste water requiring processing. Only 30% of global paints are manufactured with a water base and even these can contain plastic and petrol-chemical based ingredients. Graphenstone is certified by the most rigorous of all the ‘harm-free’ evaluation agencies including the most widely respected and holistic agencies such as Cradle to Cradle Institute, Eurofins, Green Tag and many others. No global paints brand has more certifications in the ecological and sustainable space. About Graphenstone Graphenstone is the brainchild of a chemical engineer Antonio León Jiménez who dedicated himself to the idea of developing a natural, ecological and health conscious coating for the 21st century. Since the production of their initial range of paints and coatings, they have continued to work diligently creating ever more healthy and sustainable coatings for all manner of buildings. Visit Profile Want to feature your industry expertise? Explore our membership options here or subscribe for updates in our newsletter.