Earth Day, Every Day - Tip # 18 - Environmentally Friendly Paint

Indoor air quality (IAQ), according to the EPA, is a major health and environmental issue as your IAQ may be many times worse than outdoors.

One case in point, paints, or should I say traditional paints.

Today however, there's no need to use a paint that reeks for days. Choose no or low VOC paints, which are safe for you and your family. They're available at your local paint store, as well as the large home improvement chains. Plus you'll find a large variety to choose from, many with top ratings, so there's really no reason not to choose a no or low VOC paint.

Some of your choices...

No VOC
The Freshaire Choice (Home Depot)
Milk Paint
Sherwin Williams Harmony

Low VOC
Benjamin Moore AURA or Eco-Spec
Sherwin Williams Duration Home

As we send our kids back to school a few thoughts…

According to the EPA, “the air inside is two to five times worse than outside… and we spend nearly 90 percent of our time indoors,” kids included! So while our kids are sitting at their desk listening to their teacher, they’re breathing in toxins released by the fresh coat of paint on the walls, the cleaning products used on the floors, and who knows what that might have been sprayed on their desks or the windows.

Concerned? I am, and it’s time for us to ask our school boards the question… What are they doing to minimize indoor air pollution in our schools?

Schools should be a safe place, where indoor air quality is at least equal to what’s outside, preferably better. We should insist that our school boards make the necessary changes to ensure that all children, teachers, and custodians breathe easier.