GreenPainters Painting Australia Green

One year ago we made mention of new cadre of official Green Plumbers working in Australia. Recently a related building trade has followed suite; the Greenpainters Association. Although a much more modest non-profit association, they still wish to help building owners source professional tradespersons with direct knowledge and skills in greener building practices. Their members have experience using low VOC (volatile organic compound) synthetic paints, as well as plant and mineral-based paints and timber finishes. The association advises specifiers and consumers to abide by the Green Council of Australia Green Star Rating System, which classes low VOC paints as containing up to 16 grams per litre and ultra low to zero, 0-1g/l. They also note that “The manufacture of petrochemical based paint is energy-intensive, and the production of 1 tonne of paint can produce 10-30 tonnes of toxic waste, much of which is non-degradable.” As Greenpainters put it most painters have never used non-toxic paints before, and some find them frustrating. “This is because of their unfamiliarity with the products. However, Greenpainters love them! In fact, that's all they use, so they're experts at getting the job done right.” It seems to be on the Greenpainter registry, a tradesperson also needs to commit to correct disposal of unwanted paint, while also avoiding water wastage during wash-up. ::Greenpainters Association. (PS: their site has a few 'issues' with large image files - patience.)