(The following guest post is from Tas Moulis of https://qpaint.com.au. Qpaint is an Award Winning Painter in Brisbane. Qpaint services interior and exterior residential painting and commercial painting jobs)
Australian homeowners are becoming more aware of eco-friendly paint and low-VOC paints. Its popularity continues to grow as people look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. What is the difference? What is low-VOC paint? Traditional paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds escape into the air and create pollution. They can also irritate people’s eyes, nose and throat.
Paint makers like Dulux have developed environmentally friendly paint that emits fewer chemical fumes and is much safer to breathe in. You can improve the air quality in your home with these paints, creating a safer space for children and pets who react easily to chemical irritants. It also helps that eco-friendly paints use natural ingredients instead of harmful chemicals that hurt the environment. We have a long way to go, but we can build on this progress.
What makes paint environmentally friendly?
Low or zero VOC content
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are chemicals that turn into gases at room temperature. Traditional paints usually have high VOC levels that pollute indoor air and can harm your health. Paint needs fewer than five grams of VOCs per litre to qualify as zero-VOC. Low-VOC paints have fewer than 50 grams per litre in flat finishes and less than 150 g/L in other finishes. These lower levels mean you’ll breathe cleaner air during and after painting, which improves your home’s air quality.
Use of natural and renewable materials
Green paints use natural ingredients that are better for the environment. These paints skip petrochemicals and instead contain:
- Plant oils from flax (linseed) and safflower
- Natural minerals like clay and chalk
- Plant extracts and proteins such as casein (milk protein)
These renewable resources can be replenished, which supports long-term environmental sustainability. Many paint manufacturers who make eco-friendly products also focus on ethical sourcing and green production processes.
Water-based and solvent-free formulas
Water-based paints are a hallmark of eco-friendly options. These formulations break down easier than solvent-based alternatives and typically use biodegradable ingredients with fewer toxic chemicals. Solvent-free paints release almost no harmful fumes when applied, which makes them perfect for schools, food production facilities, and hospitals. They’re also easier to clean up, simply use warm soapy water.
Biodegradable and plastic-free composition
Natural paints’ plant-based and mineral ingredients break down naturally, which reduces their environmental impact when disposed of. This biodegradability means waste won’t cause long-term environmental damage. Yes, it is true that eco-conscious paint manufacturers often use plastic-free formulas and recyclable packaging. To name just one example, some innovative brands now use olive powder from the olive oil industry as fillers in their paints.
Health and safety benefits of eco-friendly paint
Your paint choice can affect your health in ways that go way beyond looks or environmental concerns. Eco-friendly paint brings great health benefits to you and your family.
Improved indoor air quality
Regular paints release harmful chemicals into your air for years after you paint. The World Health Organisation reports that indoor air pollution leads to about 3.8 million early deaths each year. This shows why clean indoor air matters so much. Eco-friendly paints with low or zero VOC content keep your air clean and safe to breathe. Some natural paints even contain bamboo charcoal that pulls pollutants from the air, making your indoor space healthier.
Safe for children and pets
Standard paints can put your family’s most vulnerable members at risk. VOCs often cause breathing problems, nausea, and dizziness, especially in small pets like birds and rodents. Kids face higher risks because their bodies are still growing and they play close to painted surfaces. Paint without VOCs works great if you have chemical sensitivities, asthma, or if you’re pregnant. It’s also safe around children and pets. Natural paints made from plant ingredients let families rest easy.
Reduced risk of respiratory issues
Chemical exposure from regular paint over time has links to sick building syndrome and serious breathing problems. VOCs in standard paints can trigger asthma, allergies, and cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Xylene, a common ingredient in regular paints, can upset your stomach, harm your breathing, and might damage your liver and kidneys. Eco-friendly paints remove these risks and help everyone breathe better.
Low odour during and after application
Eco-friendly paint has fewer chemicals, which means less smell. This makes painting much more pleasant. You can move back into your newly painted rooms faster without worrying about dangerous fumes. This helps a lot in spaces that don’t get much fresh air, so you can enjoy your fresh paint job right away.
Environmental impact: Eco vs traditional paint
Paint’s ecological footprint goes far beyond our homes and affects our environment in many ways. A look at traditional versus eco-friendly paints shows big differences in how they affect the environment throughout their lifecycle.
VOC emissions and air pollution
Traditional paints have solvents that are mostly Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These compounds escape into the air as paint dries and gets applied. The chemicals mix with other pollutants in the air to create smog on exterior surfaces. Regular paint formulas make indoor air quality worse and add a lot to outdoor pollution. Eco-friendly paint options use water instead of petrochemical solvents, which cuts down harmful emissions drastically.
Paint disposal and waterway contamination
Paint waste creates a huge environmental problem. About 5% of the 100 million litres of paint bought yearly in Australia ends up as dangerous landfill waste. Paint can seep into groundwater when people don’t dispose of it properly. This contaminates soil and eventually flows into rivers and lakes, which hurts aquatic ecosystems. Eco-friendly paints break down naturally and don’t release harmful substances into water bodies. Paint waste can become useful products instead of polluting our environment when disposed of correctly.
Sustainable manufacturing practises
Eco-friendly paint production typically features:
- Less energy use and fewer emissions than regular paint manufacturing
- Closed-loop recycling systems that catch, clean, and reuse solvents
- Renewable resources like plant-based ingredients
Manufacturers now use waste-to-energy programmes that cut down natural gas use while making steam for production. Companies are working toward zero-waste processes where they recycle waste materials within their operations effectively.
Support for green-certified brands
Choosing certified eco-friendly paints helps brands that care about the environment. GREENGUARD Gold, Global GreenTag, and EPD certifications prove products meet strict environmental standards. Dulux, Australia’s leading brand, offers UltraAir and envirOâ‚‚ ranges that help earn credits under Green Star and other green building rating schemes. Supporting these brands pushes the industry to accept new ideas and invest more in environmentally responsible innovations.
Types of eco-friendly paints available in Australia
Australian homeowners can now choose from an impressive selection of environmentally friendly paints that provide healthier alternatives to standard products.
Milk paint and clay-based paint
Family-owned businesses in rural NSW handcraft milk paint using milk protein (casein), lime and natural pigments – one of the oldest paint formulas still used today. These zero-VOC options remain non-toxic, food-safe and child-safe. German manufacturers produce clay-based paints sustainably, creating an odourless finish that works great if you have chemical sensitivities. The price runs slightly higher than regular acrylic paints, but the resulting living space becomes exceptionally healthy.
Plant-based and mineral paints
Renewable resources like linseed oil and castor oil create the foundation of plant-based paints. Natural resins, minerals, and earth pigments enhance these formulations. Porter’s Mineral Paint’s premium silicate options penetrate masonry surfaces deeply and come with an impressive 25-year guarantee. The paint’s breathable nature lets surfaces regulate humidity naturally.
VOC free paint and low-VOC latex options
Ecolour’s premium water-based paints come with 100% VOC-free certification and GECA accreditation. Resene Zylone Sheen Zero delivers popular low sheen without any unwanted VOCs.
Best low VOC paint Australia: Top picks
The market leaders include Dulux envirO2 with less than 1g/L VOC, Taubmans Pure Performance with National Asthma Council endorsement, Benjamin Moore Eco Spec, and Wattyl I.D Advanced.
Looking Ahead
The right paint choice goes way beyond picking colours, especially when you think about your family’s health and the environment. Queensland homeowners now have access to eco-friendly paint options that work better than traditional ones. Zero-VOC and low-VOC alternatives create healthier living spaces and release fewer harmful emissions into your home’s air.
Your family’s health benefits make eco-friendly paint a smart choice. Everyone deserves clean air without the toxins that regular paints release as time passes. These safer formulas protect children and pets the most since their bodies are more sensitive to chemicals.
On top of that, your paint choice affects more than just your home. Water-based, biodegradable paints keep our waterways clean and reduce pollution. By choosing eco-friendly paint, you take a real step toward shrinking your carbon footprint.
Eco-friendly paints might cost more at first, but they last longer and protect both health and the environment – that’s real value for money. Australia offers plenty of great options from milk-based formulas to mineral paints and VOC-free latex alternatives. Environmentally friendly paint is more available now and is a great choice for the environment and your family.
