(You’ll find that many sustainable children’s brands go the extra mile to get this so that health conscious parents can have confidence in their products.) The Gold certification further limits formaldehyde in particular. “Gold” indicates that a brand has even more strict standards as to which chemicals are allowed in their products. According to UL Solutions, “If a product has been UL GREENGUARD Certified, it has been tested and scientifically proven to have low chemical emissions.” They test for more than 10,000 chemicals in their labs.Ĭlare is GREENGUARD Gold Certified. This certification process emerged as a way for low-emission companies to let their customers know health and safety is a priority. GREENGUARD is a certification by safety leader UL Solutions that analyzes products for chemical emissions. VOCs can accumulate in the air and ground water, so they are of concern for both the environment and personal health. When it comes to sustainability, some VOCs can act as indirect greenhouse gases in the form of air pollution. Apparently, they’re what’s responsible for that “new home” or “new car” smell! No wonder that always gave me a headache… As far as I can tell, there isn’t universal guidance for the levels of VOCs that can safely be in a home (where air pollutants can be worse than outside!) the general consensus is simply that you should limit them as much as possible. VOCs have been linked to anything from minor irritation while using to cancers caused by long term exposure. VOCs are a group of carbon-based chemicals (the most common is formaldehyde) present in home construction and maintenance products such as flooring, building materials, and paint. I’ve seen so many companies prioritize human health but disregard their effect on the environment, when the two should really be intertwined. Packaging supplies are made of 100% recycled material. For example, the paint liners and trays (seen below) are made of recycled materials. Is Clare paint sustainable? What I liked about Clare was that their paint is not only free of toxins (see below), but they are an eco-conscious company… Even down to their supplies. This was a helpful experience because once I got to the Clare paint, I immediately noticed the low odor, not to mention didn’t feel queasy when I got too close to it! (The walls that I painted over during this project were super unevenly textured too.) That basic paint was what I’d call high odor (haha), I had to be on top of ventilating and tried to breathe in as little as possible. The paint all over this unit is, to put it kindly, less than professional, and the trim had nicks and scratches everywhere. Before I got to the accent wall, I actually touched up some of the trim in our apartment with a mainstream paint. So began my research into what VOCs actually are, paint sustainability, and why I’d go with one paint brand over another. Over the months I collected art and frames (it’s wild how this little collection actually took so much planning!) Once I had a handle on that, I knew that paint was the missing piece! I finally decided on a simple console table and that it would feature a gallery of framed art. We actually moved in last August and I’ve done nothing with this corner of the room. We have this west-facing wall opposite our sliding door in our living room which gets tons of light and was just begging to be upgraded. I’ve always loved how white walls are like a bright blank canvas, but as a conscious maximalist I crave color. They agreed to send me two colors + paint supplies to try, and I’m excited to show you the result and a full review in this post! I decided months ago that it needed a pop, preferably pink, but it took time to research sustainable paint companies before I found a brand I aligned with and that featured colors I loved. It’s ever so slowly starting to feel like spring, but for now I’m happy hanging inside (with all the blinds up, of course) because I finally finished the pink accent wall project I’ve been dreaming up for many moons! I’m an interior paint novice, but there are just too many white walls in this apartment of ours.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |