Some may love the smell of paint, but the new paint smell is actually caused by toxic chemicals in paint that evaporate at room temperature. When you are exposed to these toxic chemicals, they can cause you to become dizzy and nauseous as well as have a big headache. Exposure to these chemicals on a daily basis can cause many health issues. They can also cause permanent damage to your body. To address these issues, many paint companies now manufacture low-VOC paints.

Latex paint

The most popular paint on the market, latex paint is easy to use and clean. However, this type of paint can cause serious damage to the environment if it is poured down the drain or thrown away in the regular trash. Latex paint is a hazardous waste and should be disposed of properly.

Latex paint is made from additives, pigments, and solvents. There are many types of latex paint, and these include vinyl, epoxies, and acrylics. While it contains hazardous materials, latex paint is actually less harmful to the environment than paints that are oil-based because it contains fewer dangerous materials.

Oil-based paint

Oil-based paint contains hundreds of toxic chemicals and over 100 carcinogens. The hazardous chemicals in oil-based paint are found it additives, pigments, solvents, and resins. These chemicals can pose a serious health threat to humans and the environment. If you throw oil-based paint in the trash, it could be a health hazard to humans, animals, and equipment.

Paint safety tips

  • Buy latex or water-based paint since they are less hazardous.
  • Give leftover paint away to someone who can use it.
  • If you must use oil-based paint buy only what you need.
  • Take leftover oil-based paint to a hazardous waste collection facility.

Be sure to only buy as much paint as you will need so that you can avoid disposal issues. Calculate beforehand how much paint to use so that you won’t waste any paint or worse, cause environmental hazards.