Eco-paints

"Hundreds of colors make greener, and safer, than ever"

Making "green" improvements gets easier with eco-friendly items, like reclaimed wood and organic fabrics, becoming more available. Eco-paints have now entered the mainstream as well. home-supply stores increasingly carry a wide selection, some times in hundreds of colors, with zero or very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These gases, which are emitted from common paint ingredients, may have an adverst effect on your health. Conventional paints produce fumes that pollute the indoor enviornment and contribute to smog outside, while eco-paints minimize such contaminants without sacrificing performace.

How do you know what's "green"? Check the lavel. those certified by Green Seal, GreenGuard Environmental Institute, or Scientific Certification Systems will bear an official seal. these groups ensure paits meet tight emissions standards and have good coverage (since extra costs would negate the benefits of a less toxic formula). Some companies skip certification to save money, so you can alo look for VOC levels directly on the can 9prodcuts with higher levels may not tout them on the label, so stick with those that offer this info). Regular interior flat paint contains up to 2.1 pounds of VOCs per gallon. Greener options have no more than 0.42 pounds per gallon.

Brands that go even further: they limit risky additives, avoid petrochemicals, or broaden color palettes. So give your home or development a lasting sheen of a healthier environment- inside your house and out.

BioShield Casein Milk Paint $29.00 per 1.5 gallon yield, bioshieldpaint.com

YOLO Colorhouse Zero VOC Interior Paint- Green Seal certified $39.00 per gallon, $6.00 per swatch, yolocolorhouse.com

AFM Safecoat Interior Zero VOC $32.00 to $37.00 per gallon, afmsafecoat.com

Benjamin Moore Eco Spec in Interior Latex $31.00 to $39.00 per gallon, benjaminmoore.com

Sherwin-Williams Harmony Interior Latex $35.00 per gallon, sherwin-williams.com

"The new breed of eco-paints offers plenty of style without the fume-induced headaches."

As seen in body+soul magazine. Page 60 by Jennifer Roberts. July 2007