Eco-Friendly Painting Tips for a More Sustainable Home

The concept of “going green” is more than just a trendy fad; it’s a strategy to make our world a more livable and wonderful world for the future. There are many ways you can live more sustainably, from recycling to installing energy-efficient appliances and even painting your home. 

This article will explore what it means to “go green” with eco-friendly paint.

Reuse and Repurpose Painting Tools

One of the most important aspects of eco-friendly painting is reducing waste. A great way to do this is to reuse or repurpose items that are used for painting projects. Many tools can be reused over and over again with just a good wash and scrubbing. Unused portions of paint can often be saved until a later time for touch-ups and future projects.

For empty paint cans, consider using them for DIY projects to create colorful outdoor lanterns, hanging planters for flowers, or storage for craft supplies. With any paint, only buy what you need and store it tightly in a cool, dry place to make it last longer.

Low and Zero Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Paints

There are chemicals in some commercially manufactured paints that may be harmful to human health over extended amounts of time. One eco-friendly paint option that may benefit your health is to choose low-VOC and no-VOC paint. Oil paints should have less than 380 grams of VOCs per liter, and latex paints should have less than 250 grams per liter to meet this designation. 

Use Natural Paint Brushes 

To lessen your impact on the environment from painting projects, you can also use natural paintbrushes from renewable resources that have a minimal impact on the environment. For example, natural brushes can be made with bamboo handles, recycled aluminum, and vegan bristles. Natural bristle brushes often work very well for oil-based paints. 

Reflective Paint to Save on Energy Costs

Certain types of paint can actually help you save energy and thereby reduce your costs for electricity. For example, choose sun-reflective paints and roof coatings to help deflect the sun’s rays and save money on cooling costs. Certain water-based coatings can reflect heat and do not require any special efforts to apply them in exchange for their eco-friendly benefits. In general, light-colored paints absorb less heat than dark-colored paints, which is something to keep in mind for the exterior of your home. 

Eco-Friendly Paint Disposal 

After using paint, never dump unused portions down the drain or toss them out in the backyard. The chemicals in paint can seep into the soil and nearby waterways to harm the environment. Instead, ask friends and neighbors whether they could make use of your leftover paint.

If not, learn about when your community has hazardous waste disposal days. Find out where drop-off locations are for paint and other hazardous materials around your home too.

Your Local Choice for Painting

At Paintzen, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive suite of services and standing out among the competition. We provide trusted top-quality painters with 100% accountability and know the latest and greatest painting technologies to suit your budget and give you peace of mind. 

Start a live chat with us or get a free quote with us to start your project. We’ll do our best to meet your needs and provide you with an exceptional painting job that you can be proud of.