Environmentally Friendly Paint Finishes And Sustainable Paint Brands At Brewers

Finding ways to live a greener life is important to all of us, but have you ever thought about how to make more conscious paint choices?

Brewers stock a wide range of brands that have taken this into consideration.

With low VOCs and a careful curation of ingredients, certain finishes can improve air quality and meet toy safety standards, which is better decorating for the whole family.

Sustainable Paint Brands At Brewers

If you’re looking to find a paint brand with environmental values at their core, here are some top brands at Brewers who are committed to creating and distributing products in a more sustainable way.

1. Graphenstone

Graphenstone UK is one of the most certified sustainable paints companies in the world and are seeking to change the way you paint.

They offer paints and primers, certified by the pre-eminent evaluators of products in the world, such as Cradle to Cradle Institute (they hold Gold, Silver and Bronze certifications), Green Tag (Health Rate Platinum) and Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold.

Paints are manufactured using renewable energy and utilise the waste olive pits from the local olive oil industry as part of the biomass fuel.

The water used in production is reused in a closed loop system, further reducing waste; the environmental impact of production is as minimal as possible and Graphenstone have a one of the lowest carbon footprints (CO2e) of any paint on the market.

2. Earthborn

Earthborn are dedicated to creating paints perfect for home decorators, interior designers and trade folk that are better for the planet, your home and your health.

Since Earthborn was founded in 2002, they have been looking for a true eco alternative to conventional paints, long before most people had even heard of ‘eco’.

What makes their paints different is the high quality and high performance; the result of carefully selecting the right environmentally friendly ingredients and using technologically advanced manufacturing processes and formulations.

They have been awarded the first UK licence of the EU Ecolabel for indoor paints and varnishes.

3. Farrow & Ball

Farrow & Ball is a Certified B Corporation™ as of 2024. B Corp Certification is a thorough assessment of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.

F&B proudly make all their paint and paper themselves from ethically sourced raw materials in Dorset.

Back in 2010, Farrow & Ball were the first paint company in the world to transition to an entirely water-based paint range — a pioneering move which not only moved away from oil based paints, and produced less VOCs in people’s homes.

4. Little Greene

In 2004, Little Greene were one of the first UK paint manufacturers to achieve the European environmental standard BS EN ISO 14001.

From big business decisions to the smallest everyday tasks, they continue to act positively and responsibly to minimise their ecological impact, without compromising high quality standards.

All water-based paints carry the industry's lowest eco-rating, with VOC content now virtually zero.

Their paint tins are made using over 50% recycled steel and can be recycled again, proudly made at their factory in the UK.

Paints are all tinted to order, ensuring they produce as little waste as possible.

5. Paint & Paper Library

Paint & Paper Library make every effort to minimise any negative impact on the environment and health.

All Paint & Paper Library paints and wallpapers are traditionally manufactured to exceptionally high standards.

They meet all global regulations on VOC solvents, formulated to make an impact on your walls, not the environment.

Paint & Paper Library paints are made using only the finest natural, organic and safe synthetic ingredients.

With richly pigmented formulations that provide exceptional opacity and flawless coverage, Paint & Paper Library is the choice of those who value beautiful, sustainable design.

Why Choose Low VOC Paint?

VOCs stand for Volatile Organic Compounds.

These are chemicals mainly found in solvent based paints and coatings to help increase flow, application and drying time.

Once applied, the VOCs evaporate, and this can affect air quality.

Find out more about VOCs here>>

Finding Your Finish

Find the perfect finish from the following brands that is low VOC content. Be sure to check a product’s technical data sheet for more VOC information.

Graphenstone
Little Greene
Farrow & Ball
Earthborn
Benjamin Moore
Water-based finishes from Albany, Crown, Dulux and Johnstone’s

Benjamin Moore.

‘Toy Safe’ paint

If you or your client has little ones, make sure a finish is ‘Toy Safe’.

You will want to use a durable paint, but you might also wish it to be certified under Toy Safety Standard EN71:3 (2019) which is about the prevention of migration of certain elements.

For peace of mind, it’s recommended that furniture paint used on cots, beds or toys meets this standard.

Mylands.

All of the following products have low VOC levels and are also certified ‘Child Safe’ under Toy Safety Standard EN 71-3:2019 (at the time of this article):

Earthborn Claypaint
Graphenstone Ecosphere Premium
Little Greene Intelligent Matt and Intelligent Eggshell
Farrow & Ball Modern Emulsion and Estate Emulsion
Mylands Marble Matt and Wood & Metal Paint
Rust-Oleum Satin Furniture Paint and Gloss Furniture Paint
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint