When considering what makes a renovation project green, the most common topics that come up are recycling and sustainability.  There is one item that is common to renovation, however, that doesn't really lend itself to those topics, and that is paint.  So what makes a paint eco-friendly?  It's all about how toxic the paint is. 

Many paints today contain something known as VOCs, or volatile organic compounds.  These include such things as formaldehyde, ammonia, and acetone which are emitted from the paint as it dries, and can even continue to be emitted in smaller quantities for years after the paint has dried.  In addition to these toxic substances, many also include fungicides and other chemicals designed to extend shelf life and prevent mildew, but which are also toxic.

So what choices do you have in finding eco-friendly paint?  The most common and often less expensive options include paints that are low VOC, which is defined as having level below 50 grams per liter, and zero VOC, which is actually not zero, but anything below 5 grams per liter.  These are often marketed as low or no odor paint because it is the VOCs that generally produce the odor associated with paint. 

Be cautious, however, when you are looking for these paints.  Some companies do not disclose what may be contained in the coloring agent and may therefore contain higher levels of VOCs than the label suggests.  Greenwashing, which sounds like something you would do with paint but is actually the practice of making claims that a product is more eco-friendly than it really is, turns out to be something that is done to paint rather than with it.

Aside from these mass-market acrylic-latex paints, you will also find some other, more exotic kinds of paint that contain little or no VOCs or other toxic ingredients.  These include clay-based paints, which are a relatively new type of paint, and milk-based paints, which although popular before the 1860s, they are relatively uncommon today. 

These types of paint have their own peculiarities and may not always be suitable for your painting project, so that is something you will want to check into before choosing these.  For example, the clay-based paints may not be suitable for moist rooms like the bathroom, unless you follow it up with a wax coating to protect it.  And while it is possible to make your own milk-based paint from scratch, the commercial versions generally come in a powder form which must be mixed with water to be used, and a small mistake in the amount of water can make the paint less than effective.

Whatever type of eco-friendly paint you choose for your project, you can feel good that you are reducing the number of chemical irritants in your house, as well as emissions that are considered harmful to the environment as well.  That should be enough to help you breathe a bit easier.