Green HOBN of Vancouver

On Wednesday April 22nd I woke up eager to do my part to welcome in the 39th anniversary of the Earth Day celebrations.  I left my office and made sure all the lights were off, ate a local-organically-grown apple for breakfast, recycled my newspaper and took transit downtown. However while on the sky train I asked myself “have I done enough to lighten my footprint?” In Vancouver most of us are very conscious about being more energy efficient, recycling and conserving.  But every year we should be asking ourselves “this that enough?”

 As an Interior Designer I feel it’s important to educate the public on what they can do further to help the environment.  So starting this issue and in every issue I will have an article featuring “Simple Steps to Green Living.”  These tips will focus on small renovations you can do to help care for the planet make your home or business more eco-friendly. This month I want to forward some information related to indoor air quality, specifically paint.

 Most everyone has heard the term VOC in recent months, but do you know what it means?  According to scientists, Google and Wikipedia – VOC’s are volatile organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.  To sum it up in more non-technical terms:

 If you are around products that contain this bad stuff will float around in the air for years!

 Since people today spend approximately 80%, if not more of their time at home or in an office, long-term exposure to VOC’s in the indoor environment can contribute to sick building syndrome (SBS). Many building materials such as paints, adhesives, wallboards, and ceiling tiles emit formaldehyde, which irritates the mucous membranes and can make a person irritated and uncomfortable.

 According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air and is considered one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes are among the leading causes.

 When shopping for paint for a client I trust the experts at Strong River Paint (www.strongriver.net) and their recommendation for NO VOC paint. Edward McKeever and Robert Chursinoff the owners of Strong River, are “the very best in painting” and have a belief that what they “do has a positive effect on the environment.”  Their company is committed to your well-being and specializes in the time-honored tradition of natural pigment recipes used in the clay; soy, vegetable and milk based non-toxic paints for your project.

 Their projects range from nurseries to restaurants and they also specialize in plaster, hand-printed wallpapers, mouldings and reclaimed wood.  Edward and Rob recommend Greenworks in Vancouver for all of their renovation needs and regularly use Yolo Colorhouse for their painting projects.  Yolo Colorhouse “stands for premium, environmentally responsible paint products with a user-friendly color palette.” It is Green Seal Certified, produced in Oregon and distributed through Greenworks.  Their color palette is smaller than larger paint distributors but they have a wide variety of hues that will suit any project.

 Unlike conventional paint companies, natural paint suppliers are committed to making sure their materials derive from sustainable sources and are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. They aim to minimize pollution, energy and waste throughout the life cycle of their products. Natural paint companies give thought to the recyclable packaging of their products, and they also declare their product ingredients so that consumers know exactly what they are using. Because natural paints are non-toxic, they are completely safe and this makes them the obvious choice for any consumer concerned with protecting the earth and its people for future generations.

 - Kate Cannata