What's the Greenest Paint for My Home?

Here are some safer, less-toxic options

By Jessian Choy

February 27, 2021

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Illustration by Loris Lora

Editor's Note: On September 7, 2021, Green Seal updated their GS-11 4.0 standard to include VOC emissions testing for paint for interior application.


 

Hey Ms. Green,

What is the most eco-friendly paint for inside my home and work space, including the walls and furniture? Also, what's the greenest way to recycle paint?

—Marivic in Madison, New Jersey 

Here's a primer: That new-paint smell comes from ingredients that can be toxic to your health. A 2010 study found that exposure to elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint—including propylene glycol, glycol ethers, formaldehyde, and benzene—increases the likelihood of developing asthma and eczema. 

Look for safer options with these third-party certifications, which indicate paints with less VOC content: Green Wise Gold, Master Painters Institute X-Green, and Cradle to Cradle. You can also use Green Seal–certified paints, though Green Seal doesn't factor in VOC emissions like the other eco-labels do.

I used BioShield Solvent-Free Wall Paint along with the BioShield trim enamel and wall glaze. It's been a few years, but my walls still look fresh. The paint is made with water, chalk, asbestos-free talc, and other less-toxic ingredients. It arrives looking like chalk; all you have to do is add water. BioShield sells other home-improvement products: clay paint, interior and exterior wood stains and finishes, and even beehive paint.

Paint can be flammable. Don't leave it lying around. And don't put it in the trash; that's illegal in many states. The greenest way to recycle your paint is through an extended producer responsibility program—in which companies pay for the recycling of their products. You can drop off paint at one of the sites listed on paintcare.org.

For 15 years, Jessian Choy, aka "Ms. Green,"  (“she” not “guys” or “girl”), co-created laws and contracts and co-managed SF Approved, a site of green products she helped create at the San Francisco Department of Environment. Now, by day, she serves on the board of Food Empowerment Project and Earth Island. By night, she creates fun and draconian tricks for a happy, equitable, green world and fun and utopian “trips” to be happy, equitable, green or vegan through hypnotherapy, reiki energy work, and sound therapy.You can ask Ms. Green a question by clicking here or talk nerdy to her at @realMsGreen.

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