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CENTER INFORMATION
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Climate Action Plan - Give a Hoot
Sustainable Practices Guide
Sustainability Recognition Program
The Life of Paper
RESOURCES
Environmental Leadership Center
Warren Wilson College
Campus Box 6323
P.O. Box 9000
Asheville, NC 28815-9000
828.771.3006
Please refer comments or questions about this website to Phillip Ray Gibson @ pgibson@warren-wilson.edu.
Green Paint
What is it?
"Green" paint refers not to the color, but to paint that contains fewer dangerous chemicals and heavy metals (such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, biocides, and cadmium) contained in conventional paints while still providing very high performance paint qualities.
Conventional paint contains a multitude of harmful chemicals that off-gas into the air, negatively affecting the health of people and the planet. These paints release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are a class of carbon-based chemicals that have the capacity to evaporate readily at room temperature. VOCs are responsible for the smells we associate with new paint and cause some people to get headaches.
Why is it important?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nine percent of the airborne pollutants creating ground level ozone come from the VOCs in paint. Low and zero VOC paints have little or no smog-forming emissions.
Fortunately, you can easily avoid generating pollution and unsafe living spaces and still have beautiful walls of any color by using low-VOC, zero-VOC, recycled, or natural paints.
What did WWC use?
Citrus thinner, resin & oil stain (pine)
Duration Interior Latex
This environmentally preferred product is specially formulated to be low in odor, resist mildew and have lower levels of smog-producing pollutants (volatile organic compounds or VOC's). Most stains wipe clean with mild soap and water so no harsh cleaning chemicals are needed for clean-up. The durable formula reduces frequent repaints - providing the ultimate in beauty and washability
Harmony Interior Latex
Harmony is a natural choice for environmentally preferred interior paint. It is low-odor allowing you to immediately move into your newly painted spaces. It contains less solvents and zero-VOC's (volatile organic compounds) so what is emitted into the air is more environmentally friendly