Sustainable Paint Suppliers: 7 Brands Offering Vibrant Hues Without Harming the Planet
The stench that once lingered in a room during interior painting is a thing of the past, but let's face it, nobody misses that nasty odor. Thanks to growing awareness, people are searching for eco-friendly paint to spruce up their living spaces without compromising the air quality and the environment. This guide offers you a lowdown on brands that got the clean paint game on lockdown.
Stick with these badboys for green interiors
Swapping to water-based, low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints not only reduces chemical smells but also minimizes the negative impact on indoor air quality. But what sets the eco-conscious brands apart are their strategies to recycle paint, use recyclable packaging, and reduce energy consumption during manufacturing.
Farrow & Ball
Price range: £33 for 0.75L
A pioneer of water-based paints, Farrow & Ball took the green route back in 2010 by using water as the solvent across its entire range. Recently, they further stepped up their game by lowering the VOC content of all their emulsions to trace levels, with the remainder of their finishes rated as minimal or low VOC.
Tom Hayfield, the man behind the science, explains Farrow & Ball's commitment to creating beautiful, durable color using safe, sustainable materials. "Any raw material is considered safe if it can be used by our colleagues during manufacturing and by our customers when decorating without causing harm," he says. "We assess raw materials based on their carbon footprint, pollution emitted, and sourcing and end-of-life considerations."
Choose from 132 colors in their Signature Collection, along with a few other collections and the Archive. Select finishes such as Dead Flat, emulsions, eggshell, gloss, exterior paints, and specialist options.
YesColours
Price range: £28 for 1L
YesColours stands out from the crowd with its waste-saving and fully recyclable paint pouches. "We addressed the paint waste issue at its source by offering our customers eco-friendly packaging," says co-founder Emma Bestley. Their low VOC paints come in a broad range of colors, including matte emulsion, eggshell, and masonry finishes.
All the paint is made in the UK, resulting in reduced transport emissions, and they use 99 percent UK-sourced ingredients, ensuring tight control over ethical and environmental standards across the supply chain.
Lick
Price range: £39 for 2.5L
This stylish brand has water-based paints with trace amounts of VOCs. Sustainable practices extend to using recyclable packaging, and the tins are infinitely recyclable. With 100 colors on offer, there's sure to be a shade for your project. The option of matte or eggshell finishes provides ample selection.
What sets Lick apart is their innovative approach to manufacturing: producing only what's needed, when it's needed, minimizing waste, water usage, and, thereby, their environmental footprint.
Little Greene
Price range: £30 for 1L
Little Greene manufactures its paints in its own UK factory, producing both water-based and oil-based paints using vegetable oils. Ingredients are sustainably sourced, and the paint is vegan. Finishes include two matte choices, eggshell, and satin, all with trace or minimal VOC levels, and the company's gloss is low in VOCs. They boast 196 shades in the Colours of England collection, plus nine in the Sweet Treats collection.
Earthborn
Price range: £60 for 2.5L Claypaint
Earthborn's signature Claypaint has held EU Ecolabel accreditation for 20 years, signifying it meets environmental criteria in both ingredient selection and production. The low VOC paint has trace levels of VOCs, and the ultra-matte finish comes in 72 colors.
To minimize waste, they paint swatches and color cards on FSC-certified paper and use 70% recycled steel for their tins, which are completely recyclable. According to color expert Bailey Williams, packaging is 100 percent recyclable, including biodegradable packaging chips.
Lakeland Paints
Price range: £100.04 for 5L
This brand offers natural ingredients in their paint wherever possible, citing that the paint components are similar to what you would find in food, medicines, or cosmetics. The paint tins are made from 100 percent recyclable materials, and manufacturing is done in the UK to lower transport emissions. Their wide range includes 372 colors and a range of finishes: matte, soft sheen, washable, eggshell, and gloss. East up on their website for more details about their zero VOC claims.
Benjamin Moore
Price range: £20.75 for 0.94L
If you're all about indoor air quality,Benjamin Moore is worth considering. The majority of their paints sold in the UK have minimal to low levels of VOCs. You can pick from over 3,500 shades, and there are six sheen levels for interiors.
In conclusion, style and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive in 2021—discover the latest sustainable material trends in design to transform your living space.
Enrichment Data:
- Many paint brands focus on transparency and eco-friendly practices, such as ECOS Paints, Farrow & Ball, Earthborn, Lakeland Paints, and Benjamin Moore.
- ECOS Paints feature zero VOCs, making it an excellent choice for sensitive individuals.
- Farrow & Ball offers rich colors and high-quality finishes while focusing on reducing reliance on petrochemicals by increasing plant-based or recycled content in their paints.
- Earthborn's EU Ecolabel-accredited Claypaint has held this recognition for 20 years.
- Lakeland Paints use natural ingredients, such as water, limestone, marble, kaolin, plant-based binders, and vegetable oils.
- Benjamin Moore offers a vast color palette with over 3,500 shades and wide range of finishes.
- Many paint brands are prioritizing transparency and eco-friendly practices, such as ECOS Paints, Farrow & Ball, Earthborn, Lakeland Paints, and Benjamin Moore.
- ECOS Paints stand out due to their zero VOC content, making them an excellent option for those with sensitivities.
- Farrow & Ball, in addition to offering rich colors and high-quality finishes, focuses on reducing reliance on petrochemicals by increasing the plant-based or recycled content in their paints.
- Earthborn's signature Claypaint has held EU Ecolabel accreditation for 20 years, signifying it meets environmental criteria in ingredient selection and production.
- Lakeland Paints utilize natural ingredients like water, limestone, marble, kaolin, plant-based binders, and vegetable oils in their paint.
- Benjamin Moore, if you're concerned about indoor air quality, offers a wide range of paints with minimal to low levels of VOCs and over 3,500 shades to choose from, along with a variety of finishes.
- As for the latest sustainable material trends in design, style and sustainability are becoming less exclusive in 2021, allowing individuals to transform their living spaces while making eco-conscious choices.
