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Wednesday, January 30th, 2013 by Admin
Continuing on from my blog last week on Resene’s PaintWise recycling scheme, this week let’s look at eco friendly paints.
Firstly here are the main alternatives to conventional paints with the safest option first:
- Milk paint: A mixture of casein, a protein found in milk and earth pigments, milk paint has a smooth matt finish suitable for interior walls and furnishings.
- Lime wash: Made from lime and natural pigments, lime wash gives walls, both internal and external, a weathered look.
- Natural/organic paints: These are usually made from vegetable and mineral extracts bound with natural oils or resins. Some natural paints still contain conventional pigments such as titanium oxide and natural solvents that can be low-level irritants.
- Voc-free paints: These have the same make-up as conventional paints but exclude VOCs.
- Low-voc paints: These are made from petrochemicals with reduced levels of VOCs.
What are volatile organic compounds (VOC)? Well they are gases emitted by various solids or liquids, many of which can have adverse health effects. Paints that are low in VOC improve indoor air quality and also offer low odour, excellent durability and a washable finish.
Check paint labelling for the following:
- To be low VOC the paint should consist of <50 grams per litre (g/l) of VOC
- To be zero VOC the paint should consist of <5 g/l of VOC
- Solid content usually ranges from 25-45%. Higher solid percentages mean less VOC’s.
One point I thought worth noting when in the planning stage is to be colour conscious as colour has an effect on energy usage. A dark room may require more artificial light and increased energy to cool it in summer. Instead of painting, maybe consider leaving some surfaces showing their timber finish which can be coated with natural oils or beeswax.
The next question is – where can I find eco friendly paints in New Zealand? Here’s some options:
Biopaints are a Nelson based, New Zealand owned company who offer paints with natural ingredients including plant oils, waxes, tree resins and china clay. Biopaint products don’t include chlorinated hydrocarbon, fungicides, insecticides, bactericides, xylene, toluene, benzene, formaldehyde, phenol and heavy metals like lead, mercury or copper.
PaintPlus is another New Zealand made company. They are CarboNZero: the manufacturing process and distribution is certified carbon neutral. A world first for a paint manufacturer! The paint is low odour and formulated to avoid heavy metals while the levels of VOC are well below the limits set by legislation and eco label criteria.
So New Zealand offers some great alternatives to conventional paints – give them a go!
Image from: http://www.readersdigest.co.nz/eco-friendly-paint
Image from: http://www.biopaints.co.nz/interior/
Tags: CarboNZero, eco-friendly, new zealand, paint, VOC
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 13th, 2011 by Admin
 Source: Re-Nest via Just a Girl Here are this week’s favourite links from around the world:
Have a great waste free weekend. Remember every little habitual change helps.
Tags: climate change, EPA, Friday favourites, Good, Green IT, new zealand, Re-nest, recycling, reuse, tyres, waste
Posted in Friday favourites | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010 by Admin
It’s time for us all to wake up and recognise what our actions are doing to our environment, our only home.
Time to recognise that everything is connected and we need to care about our impacts in order to care about ourselves, our families and our communities. Our future.
I am currently reading You Are Here – Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet by Thomas M. Kostigen. I am only half way through and already I am more awake to the links and connections of my actions on other parts of the world, on the lives of other human beings, eco systems and species. And not just the impact that my waste has on the people who handle once it leaves my home and office (the drivers and hand sorters) and truck it to Kate Valley landfill and what the impacts are on the land but my actions on the humans and other species overseas (China, the Amazon for example).
Here is a quote that resonated:
“Of course we should care about other people. Too often we don’t connect our morality with the practicality of everyday things in our lives.”
If we put a face to our actions we would change our behaviour. But, all too often the environmental and social impacts of our actions are not in our face, not even in our backyards – we just don’t see it. Most don’t even know where their waste goes (mostly up the road to Kate Valley Landfill or ‘recyclables’ off shore to other countries to ‘deal with’). And you don’t see the carbon emissions coming out of your tailpipe either.
We as individuals emit carbon emissions through our activities: electricity, eating, drinking, transportation, and what we consume for example. But, a lot of the products that we purchase are not made in New Zealand. Most come from China where there is a coal fired power plant being installed every 4 days and a town called Linfen that is constantly covered in brown, toxic smog that the residents breath in from those coal fired power plants (that also amongst other things emit carbon). Those coal fired power plants produce energy to make the products that are exported to NZ for us to purchase and ultimately waste. Constant production. Constant waste. And where does the carbon and smog emitted from those power plants go?
So, what do we do.
1. Wake up.
2. Ask questions – where does my product come from? Who makes it? How does it get here? What other people, environments or species does the production of that product (and its whole lifecycle) impact on? Where does my waste go? What sustainable business practices doese that company genuinely have?
3. Make changes to our purchasing habits. Start buying more New Zealand made (but still make sure those products are low or positive impact). Support local producers. Support sustianbly product, organic and fair trade. Make your own products. Live more simply – live with less. Grow your own.
4. Research the connections of impacts and talk about it – get others to start making changes too. Educate and stay informed.
5. Help. Donate time or money to good causes that are trying to or are making a difference to key areas of the world like the Amazon, your local environmental group or national organisation.
With China now exceeding the United States in carbon emissions the only way we can help them to reduce their emissions by 80% (which is what they need to do) is to start demanding sustainably produced products or we stop buying those products – talk to the importers, the retailers here in NZ and start demanding. And start demanding NZ options (and NZ producer responsibility programmes) too – and that will help the NZ economy as well.
It is no longer enough to expect others to make the changes first – it needs to come from us all starting today.
As read in Blessed Unrest social and environmental justice is linked. Your actions have an impact on other people’s lives and the environment and it is taking its toll. It is time to start changing our habits for a healthier future for all on this Earth.
Now. Today. Because it may already be too late for many. We may, instead, need to start thinking about how to live completely differently for tomorrow.
Tags: Blessed Unreset, carbon emissions, China, coal, connection, environment, exports, help, home, Kate Valley Landfill, Kevin Bacon, morality, new zealand, products, research, smog, social justice, Thomas M Kostigen, toxins, waste, You Are Here
Posted in Business & Sustainability, Pratical Action, Sustainability Resources, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
Monday, March 8th, 2010 by Admin
 WasteMinz CEO Marion Short Marion Short is the CEO of the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand (WasteMinz). WasteMinz are an incorporated not-for-profit organisation that seeks to bring all the different interest groups together to “enable the achievement of an environmentally and economically sustainable waste minimisation strategy for New Zealand.” You can read more about what they do here. Below are Marion’s answers to our Green Collar Job questions.
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
We do all the usual good things at home and also try to buy well – a sort of smart shopping philosophy: buy quality (and environmentally friendly products) so that they last longer and also items that have less packaging.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
At WasteMINZ we live and breathe our environmental policy in everything we do. Plus I also try to work from home during peak travel times so I can be both more effective and minimise the time I spend driving my car and adding to Auckland’s traffic congestion. The time saving for me is slightly over an hour a day (unbelievable)!
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
I still believe there is a lack of understanding and action in regards to living in a more environmentally manner. This requires a significant attitude shift by individuals, communities and industry. We need to encourage people to make that change now and preserve our beautiful country and the value of New Zealand as a brand.
4. What makes you smile?
I smile and laugh alot – I guess I enjoy the little things and am an optimist by nature. I love taking my dog for a walk – he is always so thrilled. I love sitting down to a big family dinner – my husband is one of six boys and family is really important to us. I love the huge hugs from my boys who are both over 6 foot tall. And I love results – when you look around and you say – wow that is done – great job!
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People throwing rubbish out of their cars, or just leaving it behind – what is up with that!
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
I love orange – I think because it is so bright and happy – you can’t feel miserable wearing orange.
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
My favourite place is with my family and closest friends, enjoying their company, great New Zealand food and a glass of fantastic New Zealand wine (either a chardonnay or a pinot noir). Hopefully it is a sunny day (I live in Auckland – so that doesn’t always happen) and we have a nice shady spot to sit and tell each other all our news.
8. What’s your connection to the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust?
Sift are members of WasteMINZ and we share linkages in a network focused on great good outcomes!
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
My favourite and first teacher was my Dad and to this day he remains my favourite teacher. Growing up we had a saying ‘it can’t be that hard’ which was always said as we plunged into difficult and exciting projects and journeys. I think I was only 8 years old when Dad let me paint the VW combi van that he restored – so I always felt he had so much faith in my abilities to give something a go and not completely bugger it up. I hope I am teaching my children that lesson.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
I want to leave happy memories, I want to have made a difference in people’s lives and I want my children to grow up happy, healthy and strong contributors to a positive and more improved society/world.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
I believe that collaborative operating models are the way of the future. That in order to achieve the best results it requires multiple stakeholders working together on greater good (or at least common good) outcomes.
That in the future. closer attention and value will be placed on the importance of relationships, and that we will move away from having a short term focus to being focused on longer term sustainable strategic outcomes.
I want to have faith and believe that we will get it together and make the changes necessary for a sustainable world.
I want to believe that people will recognise that being environmentally sustainable is the only way, not just a green choice.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
I admire many people for many different reasons. It is possible to admire someone for what they have achieved but not necessarily for who they are.
The group of people that I admire the most are the ones that make an effort to ‘pay it forward’. These people give something of themselves without expecting anything in return, in order to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around them.
A challenge – what can you do to ‘pay it forward’?
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Sunny Auckland day – and I feel like everything is right in the world – but of course I haven’t hit the traffic yet!
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Coffee
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Sit down and think about who are your stakeholders – then think of them in terms of high and low interest and high and low power.
Those that have both high interest and high power are really important to what you are trying to achieve. Likewise those with low interest but high power need to be actively managed and kept informed, otherwise they could be potential roadblocks.
Are you communicating with your stakeholders? How often and how? Are there other communication tools that you could use, or leverage off your stakeholders communications tools (remember we are all part of a big network – you just need to use it).
Are the relationships working? Could they work better?
Do you have a communications strategy?
Do you know what your key messages are and your key points of differentiation?
People are so often scared of communication – and for no real reason.
Communication is such a powerful tool. Reach out and start improving your communication with your stakeholders today.
That’s two challenges (pay it forward and improving your communication) – good luck.
Tags: environment, Green Collar Job, Marion Short, new zealand, sustainable future, waste, WasteMinz
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A, Waste Management | No Comments »
Monday, February 1st, 2010 by Admin
Office supplies and stationer Corporate Express has a range of different products for organising your files and office stationery with a lower environmental impact as they are made from recycled content. Here is the full range.
The EXP Green range is made from up to 80% recycled polypropylene and includes magazine files, desk sorters, drawer tidies and a waste paper bin (although we hope the paper put inside it gets recycled!).
There is also the “I could have been landfill” range. Made in New Zealand (green marks for this) the pencil tub, desk tidy, magazine file and bins are made from 100% recycled HDPE (High Density Polyethylene).
And lastly and possibly the best option is the Earth series range which uses 100% recycled and 100% recyclable fibreboard (pre and post consumer waste) to make a magazine file, desk tidy, organiser file, stackable trays and even a CD rack. They look stylish and have been promoted as “strong, durable and biodegradable” as well as being coated in “non-chemical inks”.
Here at SIFT we are very low consumers of office stationery but like to see waste from other soures being used for everyday items that others might use. Here are some pics of the Earth Series range:
 Corporate Express Earth Series File Organiser  Corporate Express Earth Series Magazine Holder  Corporate Express Earth Series Multi Document Holder
Tags: biodegrable, Corporate Express, desk tidy, earth, earth series, fibreboard, HDPE, magazine, new zealand, office stationery, organising, polypropylene, Recycled, waste
Posted in News on Sustainability, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
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