Painting the Town "Green"

The paint industry and its negative impact on the environment has been a popular news story lately. Let’s face it; paint is not a green product. The industry is improving though. Recycled paint is more common, proper disposal programs are in place and low or zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints are becoming the norm.

Now, a major step has been taken to clean up the industry. By the end of 2012 oil paints will be regulated out of production and not allowed for residential or commercial use. Low VOC, water based paints will be become the standard. The phasing out of oil paints as a method of “greening” the industry is a step in the right direction but it is controversial.

Low VOC paints require more energy to produce than oil based paints. Water borne paints under perform oil paints on high traffic areas like doors, frames or handrails. Moreover, when transitioning a surface from oil-based to water-based paint, harsh primers are required. Even with the proper primer, the water-based system breaks down faster and the surface requires more frequent re-paints.

So let’s summarize: more energy, harsh primers, less durable paints, more frequent re-paints.  Doesn’t sound very green? Short term, it is not. However, paint technology is rapidly improving and the manufacturers are developing more durable water borne products all the time.

Despite our concerns, Wolfgang is on board with the new paint regulations. Long term, the changes make sense. For now, our job is to adopt the new regulations and educate our customers along the way.