I keep reading how low VOC levels is in indication of a paint's environmental friendly credentials. Not so! It's possible to have a paint which is full of toxic chemicals and have low VOC. What I'm more interested in as an eco decorator is whether the ingredients are natural and non-toxic. Yes it's is true that natural doesn't always mean environmental friendly. Some solvent are derived from plants.

The point is that paints are being called eco friendly just because they are low in VOC. When really it's a combination of natural ingredients and low VOC, that counts.

There's a lot of green washing by the conventional paint manufacturers. They don't disclose the ingredients but I have asked some of them by phone whether their eco paints are free of toxic chemicals and they admit they are not but they then go on to tell me how it's OK because they have low VOC levels. What The VOC!