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Sustainable Color: What Eco-Friendly Paints and Pigments Really Mean
Nature imagery and feel-good product names often create the illusion of sustainability. In most cases, this is pure greenwashing.
When marketing blurs the line between fact and fiction, as in the example above, where petroleum-based pigments are equated with natural ones, greenwashing becomes more than a harmless exaggeration. It misleads consumers, undermines honest producers, and blocks meaningful progress. Nowhere is this literally more visible than in the paint and coatings industry.
What to Expect
More often than not, glossy advertising that promises “natural” color palettes masks problematic ingredients, energy-intensive production, and non-transparent supply chains. This series explores seven key topics, offering a fact-based, solution-oriented look at the often-overlooked role of paints and varnishes in sustainability and circularity. With clear references and a focus on practical options, it aims to guide professionals and design-conscious readers alike.
Topics Overview
Pigments are objects of great beauty. Discover the differences that really matter.
1. Paints and Varnishes: A Key Factor in Building Ecology
Why coatings must not be left out of sustainability assessments and how they influence building physics, environmental impact, and life cycle performance.
2. Problematic Ingredients: What’s Really Inside the Can
Pigments, binders, biocides, VOCs, PFAS & more: what substances are critical, and which alternatives can be considered truly sustainable.
3. Healthy Living and Paints: What Really Matters
Emissions, allergens, and hidden pollutants: why indoor air quality matters and which user groups are particularly vulnerable to paint-related risks.
Eco-labels – Helpful or Misleading?
4. Paint Labelling Requirements: What’s Regulated and What’s Not
From “solvent-free” to “nature-based”: what current labeling laws do (and don’t) guarantee, and why green claims can still be misleading.
5. Eco-Labels: How Helpful Are They?
They promise transparency and sustainability. But how reliable are eco- labels in the paint industry, and why are truly innovative producers often excluded?
6. Paints at the Push of a Button: The Price of Convenience
A premium color mixed to order in a shop or online – it’s quick and easy. But what’s sacrificed in terms of aesthetics, sustainability, and responsible production?
7. Choosing Wisely: Practical Criteria for Sustainable Paints
A compact, practice-oriented catalog for planners, architects, and designers who want to make informed product choices.
Why It Matters
Titanium dioxide is the most widely used pigment in the construction industry. It’s found in more than 90% of all paints. Yet few know that producing just one kilogram of titanium dioxide results in 5–7 kg of CO₂ emissions and up to 8 kg of toxic waste.
Despite this, the Swiss paint industry still classifies titanium dioxide as a renewable resource. This misleading classification fails to distinguish between genuinely natural materials, like chalk or marble, white pigments with minimal processing, and mineral pigments that carry significant environmental costs.
In the face of today’s environmental challenges, clarity is essential. Informed choices are possible. For example, silicate-based facade paints can last for over 30 years. They’re self-cleaning, neutralize soil acidity, and even encourage microbial biodiversity. With the right knowledge, design and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
Sustainable paints aren’t just better for the planet. They are more vibrant, more luminous, and more meaningful. Stay with me. The first essay in the series is coming soon.
Switzerland, April 15, 2025
Copyrights
Forest: YARphotographer, Shutterstock_2591537913, 2025
Waterfall: Ernestos Vitouladitis, Shutterstock_2573522319, 2025
Pigments: Macondo, copyright Shutterstock_2573932319, 2025