Eco friendly painting ideas/products

Q. I'm enquiring about your Eco paints. I am highly allergic to a preservative called Methylisothiazolinone (which is in nearly all paint products because it's good at what it does). Are you able to advise if your Eco paints/plant based paints contain Methylisothiazolinone (or any ingredient ending in ‘zolininone’)?

A. Our waterborne paints contain small quantities of isothiazolinones, owing to their strong bactericide and fungicide properties, isothiazolinones are widely used as effective preservatives to control the growth of microbes in the wet and dry states of waterborne paints.

The resins we use to make Resene waterborne paints come with the preservative, while we don’t add extra preservative we can't remove them from our paints. On the majority of Resene waterborne paints the product SDS, Safety Data Sheet, does not have the isothazolinone listed in SECTION 3 Composition/information on ingredients as the level is below what is required for the raw material to be noted as a hazard. However, this does not mean that there are no isothazolinones in the particular paint, just that the reporting level has not been reached.

MI is the main isothazolinone used in waterborne paints. Methylisothiazolinone (MI) is a preservative. MI was initially used occupationally, in paints, adhesives/glues and cleaners etc, as a mixture with methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI). Since 2005, it has been widely used in cosmetics and household products, such as moist wipes, shampoos, cleaners and liquid laundry products.

MI was found to be a strong allergen. It is responsible for an 'epidemic' of contact allergic dermatitis; this can occur with a range of products. We are aware of the preservative being a contact allergen and have actively lobbied our resin suppliers to move to MI free resins, so far this has not occurred so until it does then our paints will continue to have low levels.

August 2024

Q. I want to purchase an environmentally friendly paint for painting untreated plywood for an outside tortoise run. I intend to put a runner on the top to prevent water getting into the plywood and it is standing on a decking area. I’m just wanting something that will penetrate and waterproof the wood and not be dangerous to the tortoises.

A. An application of three coats of Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen direct to the plywood will achieve a strong paint finish. It is Environmental Choice Approved but we have no animal testing to verify what would happen if the tortoises ingested the paint.

January 2023

Q. I am just wondering if you offer an eco-friendly product?

A. Resene has an extensive range of Environment Choice approved paints, including some plant-based paint and no added VOCs options.

September 2020

Q. We're hoping you'd be keen to provide us with a Resene's top tips for considering what paints/materials etc to use on a sustainable/prefabricated/earth friendly home?

A. When you're planning to decorate your home, there's a myriad of products to choose from. Just how do you decide what to use and where? Here's some tips to get you started…

• Focus on products that will last. There's no point using a product that is 'greener' or cheaper at the start if it won't last as long, as you'll end up having to repaint faster wasting more resources that painting with a quality paint at the start.

• Once you know the types of products that are suitable for your project, then look at their environmental credentials, not the other way around.

• Look for products that have approval from independent assessment programmes, such as Environmental Choice New Zealand. That way you know they have been measured and assessed against a standard.

• Take care on the extras as often these are overlooked when considering environmental credentials. E.g. Make sure the tinters in your paints no added VOC (volatile organic compounds) so you're not adding VOCs when your colour is added.

• Work with suppliers you trust. Even with the best products things can sometimes go wrong. If you work with a reputable supplier, they should be there to help you if needed later.

• Ask lots of questions! And listen to what you are told, then sort through the information to see what's most relevant for your decision.

• Websites are a great resource of more information and details on products. It's a handy way to do some background research on your choices and then you can have more focused questions to ask when you are visiting the supplier's shop.

• Take care of your waste. Recycle unwanted paint cans and paint etc through Resene PaintWise. Check when you are purchasing items what recycling or product stewardship programmes are in place to take care of the waste.

• If something sounds far too good to be true, it probably is.

The key is to focus on what performance you need for each of your project and choose products that will provide that. Don't be tempted to choose a product that isn't right for the job just because it seems more environmentally friendly or you'll risk having to redo the job with the right paint.

April 2020

Q.My family and I are building a house and I am looking for a sustainable paint solution. Can you please tell me how your paints measure in sustainability and whether or not your paints are red-list free? I would also like to know where they are made and if they have any animal ingredients in them?

A. Resene decorative waterborne paints contain no chemicals on the Red List and have no components derived from animals. Resene paints are formulated to meet the challenges of the local environment and manufactured in New Zealand at Resene owned manufacturing sites. We also use recycled plastic pails made from returned plastic packaging.