TAGS: Sustainability / Natural Coatings Architectural Coatings
The British Coatings Federation (BCF) launches a new guide. It is to help consumers better understand the environmental credentials of the paint they buy and to avoid being misled by unsubstantiated green claims.
Straightening the Difference Between Eco, VOC-free, Natural & Non-toxic
In an ever more competitive marketplace, BCF is concerned that some misleading or over-the-top green marketing claims are being made to make products stand out. Its new guide, Demystifying ‘Eco’ Paints, aims to inform and protect consumers. It also helps create a level playing field for the industry by debunking and fact-checking spurious assertions. The launch of the Demystifying Eco Paints guide follows the success of the BCF’s Green Claims Guide, launched in March 2022.
The resource aims to help consumers make informed choices and provide practical information on the fundamentals of decorative paints. It includes what paints are made of, whether it is recyclable, whether it contains plastic, and whether it is a sustainable product. It also addresses whether companies can truly claim paint products are ‘eco’, ‘VOC-free’, ‘natural’ or ‘non-toxic’.
Addressing the vague term ‘eco’ used by some paint companies, the guide makes clear that it is important for companies to make these kinds of statements about their products. It is to be precise about what they mean by this. It explains that most decorative paints are water-based. Therefore, these have very high sustainability credentials. When green claims are made about a product it is important that they are backed up by evidence.
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We are pleased to announce the launch of our Demystifying ‘Eco’ Paints resource. We are sadly seeing an increased number of unsubstantiated ‘green’ claims about paint that are likely to mislead environmentally conscious consumers. So, it is important that facts are made available for people about to buy paint, especially ahead of DIY spikes like over Bank Holiday weekends,” said Tom Bowtell, chief executive of the BCF.
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It is important to remember that terms like ‘eco’, ‘natural’ and ‘non-toxic’ don’t mean anything on their own and need to be supported by evidence. Our guide aims to both protect consumer interests and create a level playing field for the industry around a topic that is not always easy to fact check. I would encourage interested consumers to read our dedicated web resource over the coming days,” added Bowtell.
Source: British Coatings Federation