Selecting one or more of the following characteristics can significantly reduce the environmental impacts of paint manufacturing, improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and, or reduce outdoor air pollution:

• Clean existing painted surfaces instead of painting.
• Consider using recycled paint, which is reprocessed to match the performance of new latex paint.
• For interiors consider light colors that reflect more light, improving visibility and reducing the need for supplemental light (when necessary for walls, use semi-gloss and/or neutral colors, which are easier to clean and hide dirt.)
• Consider the extreme durability of mineral silicate paints for concrete (including stucco), stone, and other mineral substrates.
• Ask for paint that is Green Seal Certified (i.e. meet GS-11 standards.)
• Ask for zero- or low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paint.
• For interior applications, consider casein-base paint (i.e., milk paint.).

Paint selection has significant environmental and health implications in its manufacture, application, and disposal. Most paint, even water-based “latex”, is derived from petroleum; its manufacture requires substantial energy and water and creates air pollution and solid/liquid waste. Volatile Organic Carbon compounds (VOCs) are the pollutants of greatest concern in paints. VOCs are solvents found in most paints, including latex paints, which are released into the atmosphere during manufacture, application, and for weeks or months after application.

VOCs emitted from paint and other building materials are associated with eye, lung, and skin irritation as well as headaches, nausea, respiratory problems and liver and kidney damage. Exposure to solvents emitted by finish products can be significant. Americans spend an average of 90% of their lives indoors, and the U.S. E.P.A. has found that indoor VOC concentrations are often 10 times higher than outdoor levels. Emissions of VOCs also contribute to tropospheric ozone pollution, which irritates the nose and throat, can cause coughing and painful or difficult breathing, and damages crops in affected areas.

Renewable alternatives, such as milk paint, address many of these concerns, but often at a premium price and some products are only suitable for indoor applications. Reformulated low- and zero-VOC latex paints with excellent performance in both indoor and outdoor applications are now available at the same price (or less) than older high-VOC products. GreenSeal, an independent non-profit organization that evaluates the impacts of materials, has generated a detailed standard for certification of environmentally preferable paint, called GS-11. Paints that meet GS-11 standard are low in VOCs and aromatic solvents, do not contain heavy metals, formaldehyde, or chlorinated solvents, and meet stringent performance criteria. (See Green Seal link below.)

Silicate paints are a solvent-free alternative to conventional paints. Silicate paint is odorless, nontoxic, vapor-permeable, naturally resistant to fungi and algae, noncombustible, colorfast, light-reflective, and even resists acid rain. These paints cannot spall or flake off, and will only crack if the substrate cracks. Exterior applications dating from the nineteenth century are still in excellent condition today. Though silicate paints are expensive, their extraordinary durability can be a significant compensation.

In addition to new paints, a number of manufacturers and some municipalities (such as San Francisco) reprocess surplus paint into like-new recycled latex paint, which typically comes in white, beige, gray, or black. Municipalities typically accept old paint and provide recycled paint for free, while manufacturers usually offer recycled paint for a fee that is less than the price of virgin paint.

Many local paint retailers carry environmentally preferable paints, occasionally even without knowing it; examine the options using the above criteria. The following websites provide additional information:

GREENER PAINTS, IN GENERAL

Not reprocessed, but sorted and judged to be in useful condition: