Sustainability

Our path to total “green-ness”

Pearl Painters believes in adhering to practices supporting sustainability. This means more to us than just the use of low VOC products – this is just a starting point. It is a commitment to recycle, reuse and provide green solutions wherever possible for our clients. For the safety of our clients and our employees, we use water based products including paint, clear coats and specialty finish products. All of these products are considered safely disposed of in normal refuse, however, we elect to recycle them by taking them to Metro (503) 234-3000 or www.metro-region.org. Metro then recycles and resells them to the public.

Making a difference – one step at a time - Here are some other practices we think are important:

Re-use solvents such as paint thinner, turpentine and mineral spirits by letting paint settle to bottom and decanting the good product into a clean, sealed container;
Donate to www.drivinggreen.com for all work vehicles and on behalf of our employees for their vehicles. Since we must drive to clients’ homes, we looked for a way to reduce emissions damage. We have elected to donate funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Offsetting essentially erases our carbon footprint, neutralizing the damage. These donations currently go to fund the equipment necessary for converting animal waste into renewable energy on a number of pre-qualified farms;
Donate to OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest Research Group). For more info please call (503) 231-4181 or go to www.ospirg.org;
Purchase from local companies like Miller Paint;
Promote clients’ use of recoverable materials like Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) in their construction or remodeling projects. MDF board reduces wood waste and can be made from 100% recovered wood fiber so deforestation is slowed and landfill waste is reduced. Pearl Painters can then paint or glaze the MDF to look like any woodgrain, marble or other natural product;
Purchase recycled products for use in our showroom (e.g.. Paper towels, t-shirt rags, toilet paper, etc.);
Research and use of the best low VOC products – use of these products alone does not make a painting company “green”, though other companies out there tend to think so. For our clear coats on cabinetry and woodwork, we use primarily water-based lacquers. Most new construction and many other painting companies use oil-based lacquers because they take zero skill to spray, and they can apply multiple coats in one day. A skilled craftsman would not use these products considering the safety of the employees and the homeowner. The water-based products take more skill to apply, but they perform better – they don’t yellow and get brittle over time like the oil-based lacquers.

We know that the steps above may not win us any awards for our “green-ness”, but we are looking for ways to give back every day. We are constantly researching better products and processes. The paint manufacturers are producing more amazing and safer products constantly. We balance that research with the ability to give our clients a healthy and beautiful environment. One of the new products being released is call Acro PURE. Acro PURE is Miller’s new low odor, solvent free, environmentally responsible paint featuring antimicrobial protection. The product is Green Seal GS-11 Certified for LEED project. Ask us more about this paint, which will be available June 1, 2007.

Latex Paint – Is it really evil?

We educated ourselves and thought it was important to discuss latex paint, the issues, and proper disposal of product. Contrary to popular belief, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken the position that latex paint is NOT a hazardous waste (www.paint.org/protocol/part1.cfm). Given this, the use and disposal of latex paint is not considered environmentally “unfriendly”. To gain more information we looked to the NPCA (National Paint & Coatings Association). This association is recognized by the EPA as offering an Environmental Management System that conforms to the Performance Track criteria. As part of the education they provide, they made the following points regarding paint:

Latex paint is not a hazardous waste;
Consumers should buy only the paint they need;
Consumers can store the paint properly so it lasts for years;
Paint isn't meant to be thrown away. Consumers should use up leftover paint.
Leftover paint can be donated or exchanged (see www.metro-region.org).
Understand the acceptable ways to dispose of paint that is not usable (see below);
Simple ways to tell Latex from Solvent-Based Paint (Oil Based Paint) – see below

Acceptable ways to dispose of Latex paint - air dry leftover latex-based paint away from children and pets. One method is to pour the latex paint into a paper box or bag, and add absorbent material such as shredded newspaper or cat box filler to speed drying. The dried paint can be thrown away with normal trash, and the empty, dry steel can may be collected at curbside or elsewhere for steel recycling. Disposable of liquid latex paint in the normal trash or via storm sewer is not recommended.

How to tell Latex from Solvent-Based Paint - one way to tell the difference is by reading the label. For solvent-based materials, often the term "alkyd" or "oil-based" appears on the label. Cleanup instructions on the label are also a good way to tell whether a product is solvent-based. If the label says to use mineral spirits or turpentine to clean brushes or rollers, then the product is typically solvent-based. If brushes or rollers can be cleaned with soap and water, it is typically latex, or water-based, paint. If the label is missing or unreadable, the product should be assumed to be solvent-based for the purposes of proper disposal. Another simple way to tell is to determine the paint's solubility in water. A small amount in a jar or cap mixed with water will show whether it is latex or solvent-based paint. Latex paint readily mixes with water since it is water-based - it becomes thinner as water is added. Solvent-based paint is insoluble in water - the paint and water separate like vinegar and oil (www.paint.org/protocol/part1.cfm).