Online_Edition_2_EB_LiftingLid_May 26_AW - Flipbook - Page 10
Saying NO to
UNNECESSARY PLASTIC
The problem with paint
Modern paints, including all those
premium brands we love, rely on fossil
fuels to make their ingredients. These
paints may also contain microbeads,
which are added for durability
and matting.
Paints are a major contributor to
marine and river pollution in the form
of plastic microparticles abraded from
coated surfaces or washed down sinks
into drains.
Paint particles account for an
estimated 58% of the microplastics
that end up in the world's watercourses
and oceans each year. This amounts
to approximately 1.9 million tonnes of
plastic waste according to research
from the University of Plymouth.²
Microplastics may cause physical
damage to our organs. They can pass
through sewage treatment works,
entering watercourses. They do not
biodegrade.
Plastic is pervasive in the paint industry
– in the paint itself, as well as in paint
containers, packaging materials, peeland-stick swatches, paint brushes, and
paint trays.
Doing your bit
It's simple: paint doesn't need to be
made with fossil-fuel-derived plastic.
Consumers don't need to use paint
made from polluting plastic as there
are alternatives. Our natural paint uses
plant-based binders.
Let’s start by banning the use of
damaging microbeads as soon as
possible AND declaring their use.
Next time you buy paint, ask how
it’s made and what it’s made from,
so you can make an informed choice.
We know that fossil-fuel-derived
plastic has some tremendous lifechanging applications; we just don't
like to use it in paint when we think it’s
not necessary.
Pushing for innovation is challenging
and demanding, but ultimately
rewarding, as there’s nothing
better than a genuine solution
and a healthy planet.
We are on a campaign to rid
ALL paint of plastic by 2030.
# C O M E C L E A N A B O U T PA I N T
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