A little color on the walls never hurt anyone, right? We think of paint as a decorative element for interior applications, and perhaps a protective one for exterior applications. Volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s, are becoming an increasing concern among both painters and end users as we realize the effect of inhaling these toxic airborne chemicals.

Natura Interior Paint. Designed by Benjamin Moore.

“According to the World Health Organization, painters suffer 20 percent more cancers than the average person and 40 percent more lung cancers.” High on the EPA’s list of industries that cause a large amount of pollution sits paint manufacturing, which consumes a large volume of fossil fuel energy and spits out huge amounts of waste. This waste consists of toxic emissions to air and water, which are high priority concerns with the increasing threat to our atmosphere and oceans. Paint manufacturing via organic solvents produces about 20 percent of the hydrocarbons that pollute the earth’s atmosphere. Surfaces which have been painted don’t decompose in a polite way, they off-gas their toxic chemicals which pollute, air, earth and water.

Before you run off to cover your walls with brown paper, look to one of many emerging paints which aims to eliminate VOC’s and other toxic aspects of paint. Benjamin Moore’s Natura Interior Paint is VOC free, and since its release has surpassed Benjamin Moore’s Aura, a low VOC beta version. Natura meets and exceeds both LEED and the Green Seal GS-11 standards for chemical content and paint performance. Available in any Benjamin Moore’s plethora of colors, there is no excuse to risk the lives of painters, users and the environment anymore.