For 44 years, Paint Denver has been celebrating Earth Day as a way to focus in on making earth a better place to live. Over the years, Earth Day has focused in on a wide variety of issues, from problems with our water supply to sustainability with our energy sources.

This year as Paint Denver continues to see people moving from the country into the cities, Earth Day is focusing in on making the process more effective along the way. People living in wide open spaces have different issues then people in an urban environment. And part of the process is looking for ways to reduce toxic ways of living and replacing them with healthier options.paint denver earth day

We all want to live our lives in comfort. But doing so in a sustainable way will help us now and for many years to come.

As a professional painter, I know there are two major areas where we can help with this process.

Make paints more earth friendly

If we look at the history of paint, we’ll quickly find that paints of yesteryear were filled with toxic chemicals. Not only did they harm the environment overall, they also impacted the environment of our homes and living conditions. When you breathe in the fumes, it ultimately can harm your health.

Low or no VOC paints are now being produced by most major paint companies. Keep in mind that no VOC doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t VOCs in the paint. It simply means the base is VOC-free; pigments added later may contain VOCs, giving it a low level of emissions.

When you decide to paint your home, demand the lowest VOC paints you can find. If you have your home painted by a professional, specifically ask about the paint used. It’s the only way you’ll ensure a top qualitfy product with the lowest amount of damage to our environment as possible.

Make our clean up process more earth friendly

Once your painting process is over, two other issues arise.

First, make sure your clean up process is toxic free. Latex paint is water soluble, meaning you can clean up with water rather than harmful chemicals.

Second, never buy more paint than you’ll use. Paint is toxic to our landfills, yet millions of gallons make their way there each year. Look for recycling options whenever possible.

Happy Earth Day!