VOC in Paint
(or “What most paint companies will not tell you”)
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Here's a clue: low-VOC and zero-VOC do not necessarily mean what you think. You might think that, when you see “low VOC” on a can of paint, it means that there is very little in it. Surely “zero VOC” means exactly that then - no VOCs. Unfortunately it not quite as simple as that... |
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The US EPA allows for paints containing up to 250 grams per liter - that’s more than 33 ounces per (US) gallon! Think about that in terms of cups of coffee for a moment. The Green Seal GS-11 standard is granted to paints that contain 50 grams per liter of flat paint and 150 grams per liter of other paints. Let's spell that out clearly: Even a standard that purports to be a definition of healthy paint allows for more than 6 ounces of VOC in a gallon of paint. In the USA, manufacturers are allowed to call their paint “zero VOC” and still contain 5 grams per liter – 0.677 ounces per gallon. For this reason, we feel that the Green Seal standards are misleading and ECOS Paints will not carry the label. Also beware of paints that are low or no VOC until a color is added. Paint should be zero VOC even when tinted so beware those pigments! All ECOS Paints and Varnishes contain ZERO VOCs. So it's not as simple as you might think and the answer is not as obvious as it should be. We hope we have been able to shed a little light on the matter. We have been producing paints and varnishes which are completely free of VOCs, and other toxic chemicals for that matter, since 1988. We started making healthy, “green”, environmentally safe paint not only before it was fashionable, but before most people realized there was a need. We're quite passionate about it, in fact. So I hope you'll forgive this short session on the soapbox! |
ECOS Organic Paints DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOU! All ECOS Paints products are:
Odorless, solvent-free, VOC-free, water-based organic Paints |