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Because there is no official label of the paint which is environmentally friendly and safe, we as consumers have to be clever-clever in choosing the paint. What is eco-friendly paint? Many people interpret the term narrowly. Actually the term “environmentally friendly” in the paint does not just refer to the paint products themselves. Environmentally friendly paint can be said when making paints, paint products themselves, until the waste processing truly environmentally friendly. If hazardous materials used are substitute, still be acceptable, as long as the waste is well managed.
So, what the consumers can do is to choose paints with lower VOC content. To determine the VOC content is by seeing to the type of thinner used in a paint.

Based on the thinner materials, paint is divided into two types, namely solvent-based which is use thinner and water-based (using water). First, most paints available in the market are solvent-based paints. This applies to paint the walls and paint the wood and iron. Over time, paint the walls started to move to water based, which is considered more secure.

Paint the wood and iron followed later, although not as much paint the walls. Supposedly, water-based paints have low VOC content, but in reality not always so. Why?

Containing Solvent Materials
Solvent (which is included in the category of VOC) in paints used at the time of manufacture and at the use of paint. At the time of the manufacture of paint, solvent serves to make the mixture has an appropriate viscosity for processing.

While at the time of use, by mixing the solvent into the paint will make it easy to paint or sprayed on a surface.

Called water-based paint is paint that uses water. But this is not referring to the manufacture of paint if using a solvent or not. So could have water-based paints still contain solvents, because the paint using materials containing solvents during manufacture at the factory.

Unfortunately, there is no sure way to know whether a water-based paint contain solvents or not when we want to buy paint. We can only know after the paint was applied to the wall.

When issued a strong smelling paint, meaning it contains VOC paint with a high enough level. If there was the smell but not too overpowering, meaning that the paint contains a solvent, but no was too high. Paint which is not containing solvent should really not smell.

Paint producers Remove Logo

There are so many producers had to reduce these substances in the womb of paint today. Generally, materials that have been avoided are lead and mercury. ICI, Pacific Paint, Propan, Jotun, Mowilex, is a leading paint brand which have affixed a logo that informs that its products free of lead fixation and mercury.

For the latest products which claimed to be environmentally friendly, Jotun took out the New Majestic Family (consisting clan Optima Majestic, Majestic Matt, Silk and Pearl Majestic) which do not contain lead fixation and mercury, and easily cleaned. ICI produce Dulux Easy Clean which is also free of lead and mercury and easily to clean. Propan issued Decorsafe which have been using low-VOC materials. Outside of these brands, there are dozens of other brands which also claims its products free of lead and mercury.

Because this label was issued by the producers themselves, consumers need to careful in choosing the paint. If there is paint that is very easy to apply, the results are flat, bright colors, but the price is cheap, maybe you need to suspect. Because according to Shinta, the implications of the absence of lead fixation and the addition of mercury is its cost becomes high.

Well-known brands paint is usually more responsible in giving the claim. In addition, most of the leading manufacturers from America or Europe have followed the standards of their home countries, which already impose official certification.