Product advances promise improved indoor air quality
Paints and Coatings
by Hugh Perry
The industry has revolutionized painting and coating products during the past 20 years and even more so recently. The move away from oil-based finishes to water-based has resulted in greater longevity, better coverage, less use of raw materials, the reintroduction of natural materials, and a safer environment for producers, painters and occupants. Certification agencies have sprouted globally to set achievable standards, verify technical advances and to communicate results to consumers.
Concerns for health and environmental impact are now balanced with aesthetics, and have created this driving force for change that is being met by manufacturers, suppliers and contractors. New technologies and associated terminology has resulted, along with growing interest in purely natural products and unconventional application methods.
Environmental Concerns
Environmental concerns currently being addressed by paints and coatings manufacturers can have conflicting results. For example, removing chemicals that cause health concerns can reduce product performance and increase the amount of virgin material required. Also, recycling waste paint into new paints saves on virgin material but reintroduces chemicals presently in the old paints and now considered undesirable. Even so, recycling paint is much preferred to sending it to landfill or some other disposal. As a result, certification programs emphasize specific values that they consider contribute to overall sustainability.
The main concern is health caused by the off-gassing of chemicals found to be hazardous to humans and or the environment. These are classified as, VOC - Volatile Organic Compounds. VOCs contain one or more carbon atoms that have high vapour pressures and, therefore, evaporate readily to the atmosphere.
The federal government has announced new, more stringent draft regulations to control VOC emissions from automotive refinish, and architectural and industrial maintenance coatings in Canada. Industry has voluntarily reduced VOC emissions from its products by more than 50%. The new regulations will result in an additional 30% reduction, placing Canada among the most stringent jurisdictions in the world with respect to VOC emission controls.
Low-VOC
In Canada, tests for VOCs are done on base material only and do not include the pigment which is added for the tinted colours. [The denser the colour the higher the VOC content.] The amount of harmful chemicals deemed to be allowable in un-tinted paints varies among certification agencies. For example, Eco-logo allows 250 grams/litre for interior use, while the Green Seal in the US and MPI in Canada target for 50 g/l. For a paint or floor finish product to achieve a LEED credit in Indoor Environmental Quality requires a maximum VOC level of 250g/l.
While low-VOC content would seem more an issue for indoor areas, some manufacturers, such as Pittsburg Paints/Olympic Stains [PPG], produce low-VOC 250g/l product for exterior use as a means of protecting the natural environment. They offer a user-friendly method for sourcing VOC levels in their products at http://ppggreen.buzzhoney.com
No-VOC
Paints are being made with no off-gassing of dangerous chemical, for example, the all-natural tinting of ‘Natura’ by Benjamin Moore. As a result of the all natural colouring agents, more coats are required for adequate coverage. To address this, ICI have created a no-VOC tinting system called, ‘The Freshaire Choice’. Tint is applied dry by the supplier, thereby eliminating the VOC. Other tints which are made with natural products do not off-gas, such as those used in Milk paints and Clay finishes.
Emphasis on environmental concerns requires a balance between Low- and No-VOC and performance. Benjamin Moore achieves this with their Aura and Natura lines. Aura decreases virgin materials by using, ‘Color Lock Technology’, thereby reducing the need for a primer and the need for more than two coats no matter how dense the colour. The Natura line addresses No-VOC concerns.
Certification Labelling
Today’s marketplace is crowded with products and services claiming to be environmentally friendly. Biodegradable, no-toxic, low VOC, recycled or recyclable are the in-vogue claims, and various certification organizations are in place to qualify the process. The main certification programs include Eco-Logo and Master Painters Institute [MPI] in Canada, and Green Seal and Green Guard in the US. In addition, manufacturers are setting their own standards by having specific products tested by a third party and introducing their own label.
EcoLogo:
Environment Canada’s EcoLogoTM Program [ecologo.org ] provides consumers with a level of assurance that the product bearing the EcoLogoTM, meets stringent environmental criteria, however, to meet their standards low-VOC products can contain 250g/l.
The EcoLogo Program is a Type I eco-label, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization [ISO]. This means that the Program compares products/services with others in the same category, develops rigorous and scientifically relevant criteria that reflect the entire lifecycle of the product, and awards the EcoLogo to those that are verified by an independent third-party as complying with the criteria. The mark also tells the consumer that the manufacturer of the product has been audited by a credible third party, which is managed by Terra Choice.
There are a variety of paints, stains and floor finishes that qualify to display the Eco-Logo. Their criteria address multiple environmental attributes related to human health and environmental considerations throughout the life cycle of the product, meaning from the extraction of the materials through to disposal.
TerraChoice announced the expansion of the EcoLogo program into the U.S. marketplace in 2007.
Master Painters Institute:
MPI [mpi.org ] places importance on performance. The less material used through increased coverage and longer life is regarded by MPI as a key ingredient toward sustainability. Their performance standards also require that no confirmed human carcinogens are used as ingredients in the manufacture of the product.
The MPI Green Performance Standards for low-VOC allows for variable allowable limits of specified chemicals. This is based on the ability to test for specific chemicals. For example, amounts less than 50gram/litre are difficult to trace, which can make ‘No-VOC’ claims questionable, unless made from 100% organic materials. However, manufacturers are advancing using technology to further minimize off-gassing. Recycled paints must meet the same minimum standards as non-recycled paints.
Green Seal:
GreenSeal, [greenseal.org ] is a US standards developing body that meets the EPA criteria for certifying products that satisfy stringent environmental evaluation. Their logo may appear on Canadian-sold products. MPI performs the testing for Green Seal standards GS-03 and GS-11, which form the requirements in achieving credits under the LEED category, Indoor Environmental Quality 4.2 and 4.4
GreenGuard:
GreenGuard focuses exclusively on indoor air quality issues [greenguard.org ]. The GreenGuard Certification ProgramSM is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. The first GreenGuard Certification was awarded in the fall of 2002.
Waste Disposal
The Canadian Paint and Coatings Association [CPCA, cdnpaint.org ] has a ‘Municipal Hazardous of Special Waste’ [MHSW] program set up in BC, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and now Ontario. In Ontario, for example, the MHSW program will lead to an estimated 32,000 tonnes of wasted paints that will be diverted from land fills every year. Under this program, companies are required to remit fees based on the amount of paint sold. This revenue is used to operate the disposal program and to promote it to consumers.
To date, no products containing recycled content have been certified by Eco-Logo. However, Peintures récupérées du Québec inc. provides its Boomerang line made from unused portions of recovered domestic paint and stain. The process of recycling captures 86% for reuse and the finished product contains only 1% of new material. In fact, Peintures récupérées is in the process of applying for Eco-logo certification. Eco-Paints in Toronto, which distributes this paint line, reports a 300% increase in sales this year because of the rising focus on ‘reuse’ by specifiers.
Natural Products
Natural products which were once the norm are making their way back into the main stream. Partly due to their healthy attributes, the glamour associated to being ‘natural’, and the organic feeling they reportedly create. Their application generally requires specific training to achieve desired results and, therefore, attract specialist contractors.
Clay Finishes
Finishing a wall with clay includes on-site mixing with water and colour tints that are applied by trowelling on the finish rather than rolling. The product is all natural, with no VOC, and allows the surface to breath, thereby creating a softer feeling in the space. It contains water, soy resin, marble, titanium oxide, mineral pigments, and clay. Gypsum does not have to be finished with compound due to the resulting thickness of the final finish.
Milk Paints
Basic ingredients include milk, limestone, clay and natural pigments like coal, berries, roots, seeds and minerals. Being organic, non-polluting, and bio-degradable, allows it to absorb into wood fibre preventing it from chipping or peeling. This makes its application ideal for creating period-style furniture and home decorating. By being slightly akaline it also naturally inhibits the growth of mold and mildew.
Hempseed oil
This is a solvent-free oil finish that can be used on bare wood, cast iron and old oil-based paints either interior or exterior. It penetrates to protect from the inside out and does not leave a surface film that will chip or scratch. This food-safe oil finish contains no VOCs.
Soy-based stains
Soybean oil is the most readily available and one of the lowest cost vegetable oils in the world. It has been a major ingredient in making alkyd resins which are dissolved in carrier solvents to make oil-based paints. With the advent of latex paints, the United Soybean Board in co-operation with the industry has developed soy for use as a non-toxic concrete stain and wood sealer for interior and exterior use.
When it comes to decorating, aesthetics has not completely given way to environmental concerns. However, there is a rising conscientiousness toward creating healthy conditions for paint factory workers, painters and occupants. This, and the genuine concern regarding the human impact on the natural environment, is leading us to ask ourselves, “Is there a better way?” This simple question is driving the paint and coatings industry to make its products more environmentally friendly.
Hugh Perry is SABMag Contributing Editor.
