DIY Home : Organic paint how to choose it for walls

Already available on store shelves for some time now, the new so-called "eco-friendly" paints use no chemical solvents. How do you choose your organic paint? Which paint is the least harmful? Why choose organic paint? We have the answers.

Summary

• Which paint is the least harmful?
• How to choose your organic paint
• What are natural paints?
• Why choose organic paint?

Long ignored, indoor air pollution has now become a concern for the French. The cause? Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) found everywhere in the home, including in paint .

Which paint is the least harmful?

The least harmful paints for health are those composed of a water-based solvent, that is to say acrylic paints and natural paints.

Synthetic alkyd paints are much more polluting and are therefore used less and less. But be aware that even water-based paints can contain polluting petrochemicals.

Since the main source of paint pollution for the air in your home is the emission of VOCs (volatile organic compounds ), the least harmful paints are naturally those that emit the least, or even none at all, but also those that do not contain toxic or controversial products. As you might expect, eco-friendly paints come out on top.

How to choose your organic paint

To choose your paint wisely, refer to the labels on the one hand, and to the paint's composition on the other. The European Ecolabel is a label that helps you identify the product and guarantees a number of health and safety standards: it limits VOC emissions to 10g/L for matte paint (compared to 30g/L for the French standard), and 40g/L for a glossy finish.

 

These ecolabels also guarantee an environmentally friendly production cycle and the absence of substances classified as toxic and carcinogenic , except where exemptions apply, as well as good paint performance.

For organic paint, which is actually bio-based paint—that is, paint made from natural resin, mostly plant-based— petroleum-derived products are replaced with biodegradable raw materials . Some brands go even further by using plant waste in their manufacturing process, while others are only 95% eco-friendly (and therefore contain up to 5% petrochemicals): be sure to read the ingredients carefully if you want to use 100% bio-based paint!

What is organic paint? 

Natural paints come in several forms: lime paint, for example, is suitable for damp rooms as it is naturally antifungal, but it is not without risk as it can be irritating. For the walls and ceilings of living spaces, plant-based paints, composed of water and natural resins, now offer coverage equivalent to, or even better than, traditional acrylic paints.

 

Among the paints made in France, we can mention Algo, a paint based on algae and algae waste; Pure & Paint, made from biodegradable raw materials; Colibri, plant-based and bio-sourced; and Circouleur, a paint that is 70% recycled. Across the Channel, Little Greene offers a very attractive color range, popular with decorators. Finally, all the major paint brands now offer their own eco-friendly ranges, such as Ripolin, Bondex, Dulux Valentine, and Farrow & Ball.

Why choose organic paint?

Whether you're planning to refresh your living room or redecorate your home with color, it's now advisable to choose an eco-friendly and bio-based paint, for – at least – four reasons:

• Bio-based paints do not give off any odor.

• Bio-based paints have the lowest VOC emissions, often less than 1g/L or even zero: they are therefore non-toxic for you and your family.

• The components used are natural and biodegradable.

• They respect the environment

In terms of decoration, eco-friendly paints today have little to envy from others, as they offer trendy color palettes that will satisfy all your desires.