Ver 1.0 (May 23)

Confidential & Proprietary | 2023 CBRE Inc.

Pollution in the Paint industry

• Billions of pounds of VOC, GHG, and HAP are released annually, more than the total of many states annual vehicle emissions
  
• 30 Tons wastewater required to flush and process per one ton of latest paint.  Pain is the largest source of micro-plastics on earth, over 50% (Forbes)
• Toxic impact on Indoor Air Quality.  Chemicals in latex paint outgas months and years after installation i.e. anti-freeze and mildewcides to prevent mold growth in the can.
• Professional designers are 40% more likely to get cancer.
• The paint industry is one of the most polluting on earth and, spends more money on lobbying efforts than the tobacco and liquor industries combined.

Type of Paints and Protective Coatings

Architectural Paints - designed for use on buildings and residences, protect surfaces from abrasion, weathering, film damage or impact.  Whilst making the space aesthetically pleasing and hygiene.

Wood Coatings - used to prevent wood decay, deliver long term surface protection and colour.

Protective Coatings - includes epoxies, tank linings, urethanes (car paints, railcars, aircraft), and high performance flooring and are designed to protect metal and concrete surfaces from corrosion and/or chemical attack.

The Affect of Microplastics

• Every day, millions of gallons of paints are sold in the US, most of it, made of plastic.  Microplastics are particulates under 5mm in size.
  
• More than 5 million tons of tiny plastic particles from latex paints end up in the ocean every year.  Paints contribute 58% of all microplastics in the ocean's, and latex paints currently represent 48% of the gross totals. Forbes
• On average, people ingest approx. 5 grams of microplastics every week.  This equates to roughly a credit card. World Health Organisation.

How can we make a difference?

Specify only 3rd party environmentally certified, verified, and 100% organic pain products.

Watch out for words like "low toxicity", "green" or "quality", whic don't mean anything unless by any testing, measurements, or 3rd party certifications.

Ensure that toxicity level's warranty and/or quality, are more important than colour and sheen.

Don't go for just the "cheapest" approved pains and disregard elements like Indoor Air Quality, toxicity and/r durability.  Paint is the least expensive finish in a building and is the most toxic.

Know your products, and specifics about coverage, quality, warranty, toxicity and certifications, so when a contractor says that organic paint is all more than a latex paint, you will know the facts.

What questions should you ask?

• Warranties (One year materials on latex, 15 years labour & materials on organic paint)
  
  
• Material's Cost per Sq. Ft as applied / Material's Cost per Sq. Ft over Asset Life
  
  
• Certifications:
  • Cradle to Cradle
  • WELL
  • FITWELL
    
    
• Performance, Based on ASTM test for adhesion, flexibility and abrasion
  
  
• Quality Ratings
  
  
• Sustainability Concerns:
  • Carbon Content
  • Ozone Depletion

Paint Greenwashing?

• Manufacturing: huge carbon output / significant toxic waste
• Water Based often petro-chemical base with "Water Added" - dont' be mslead
  
• "Low VOC" up to 30g / litre
• Climate Positive paint - No such thing!
• Impossible to recycle due to chemical formulation

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Indoor Air Quality

Air pollution is one of the top 5 factors causing chronic disease according to the World Health Organisation.

Almost 90% of our time is spent indoors and almost 70% in our homes

We consume nearly 8 times as much air by volume as food and 4 times as much air as water.

Indoor air often contains 2x-5x as much pollution as is typical in outdoor air.

High-performance homes constructed today let in significantly less fresh air than those in older, less efficient homes.

Sustainable Procurement  Playbook

Sustainable Solutions - GRAPHENSTONE

SUSTAINABLE PAINT

Who are Graphenstone Paints?

Graphenstone Paints, create paints using only 100% organic and natural and products, free of harmful substances, including micro-plastics, odors, toxins, or petrochemicals, making them the healthiest paints on the market.

Multiple Graphenstone paints are certified as Cradle to Cradle Gold.

 Graphenstone use Lime in their paints.  Making the lime pigments, is a 100% natural process.  The lime used is produced using the traditional biomass method of wood-burning furnaces, which creates lime pigments of exceptional purity and 98% whiteness.

The manufacturing cycle is a natural process, from the wood used to feed the wood ovens, through the burning of the limestone, to the preparation of the final product.  All power, other than what may be created by wood burning furnaces, is created by renewable energy, wind and solar.

Key benefits of lime pigments, CO2 absorption

For every twelve gallons of Graphenstone Ecosphere applied, it absobs the same amount of CO2 as a fully grown tree does in a year, or 55lbs of CO2

Environmental Benefits of Organic Paints

Graphenstone Organic Paints are free from:

• Microplastics
  
  
• Odors & Toxics
  
  
• Petrochemicals
  
  
• Carbon
  
  
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
  
  
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
  
  
• Harardous Air Polluting Solvents (HAPS)

Graphene Inside

Graphene based innovation: increased hardness, uniformity, strength, conductivity and flexibiity

200x stronger than structural steel

1000x more conductive than copper

20% flexibility without damage

Graphene fibres provide a support structure at the molecular level

Unique elasticity and flexibility; no cracking

Reduction in snagging and maintenance costs

Significantly increased coverage

Strengthens the benefits of natural paint

Further Information

More information on the paints provided by Graphenstone can be found here

Sustainable Solutions - GRAPHENSTONE

SUSTAINABLE PAINT

Sustainable Procurement Playbook

North America

Asia & Oceania

Middle East

Asia & Oceania