Green Paints Put More Green in Your Pocket

Dunn-Edwards: Greener by Design

On this 50^th Earth Day, we are flooded with hope and optimism. As many businesses and painting contractors have the extra time to re-evaluate operations, platforms and processes, we turn our focus to eco-responsibility and what it means for all of us.

Guided by our Greener by Design philosophy, Dunn-Edwards has a long and proud history of being a leading green paint company. From our eco- and people-friendly ingredients, to our passion for continuous improvement, to our LEED Gold-certified paint manufacturing facility, we have always been dedicated to manufacturing the highest-performing paints that are good for people and the planet. What does this mean for you? Simply, you can offer your clients the safest and best-performing paints in the market — and here’s how we do it:

• Reduced VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints — Dunn-Edwards offers a wide range of Low, Ultra Low, and Zero VOC primers and paints. From EZ-PRIME^®and ULTRA-GRIP^® primers, to Ultra-Premium EVEREST^® and SUPREMA^® for interior surfaces and EVERSHIELD^® and SPARTASHIELD^® for exteriors, we manufacture a full line of coatings that have minimal impact on air quality, both outdoor and indoor. Click here to learn more.
• High Performance – Performance is actually the key ingredient in green paints. Excellent coverage and durability better protect and preserve substrates, while conserving energy and material resources.
• Zero VOC Colorants — Dunn-Edwards Zero VOC colorants perform as well as conventional colorants, but with no added VOC solvents. Also, unlike some colorants used by others, our Zero VOC colorants are free of any U.S. EPA "Chemicals of Concern."
• EG-Free™ and TAC/HAP-Free — Ethylene Glycol (EG), a solvent often used in water-based paints, is listed as a Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) and Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP). Thirty-seven years ago, we led the industry as the first manufacturer to voluntarily replace EG with Propylene Glycol, a non-toxic alternative.
• RAVOC ratings — We were the first paint company to label its products with Reactivity-Adjusted VOC Content (RAVOC) ratings, which provide a more accurate means to measure how much a coating might affect outdoor air quality.

How Being “Green” Can Help Your Business

There are many reasons why offering and promoting the use of eco-efficient paints can help your business — from simply helping your eco-conscious clients be kinder to the Earth, to ensuring that their living spaces are more comfortable.

Paint and coatings are, by nature, environmentally useful, as they beautify, protect, and preserve the surfaces of the built environment in which we spend most of our lives. Therefore, to further that idea, using paints that exclude potentially harmful ingredients and provide long-lasting durability makes sense for you and your clients.

How can you leverage that idea to generate new and repeat business? There are a number of ways to promote the use of green products, such as: addressing environmental concerns; explaining how green paints can make the indoor environment more pleasant and odor-free, and pointing out that today’s green paints cost no more than conventional products. Here are some tips on how to approach your clients:

• Inform your customers about VOCs — By providing your customers with information about VOC in paint, you’ll be providing them value-added information to help them make a better product choice. In addition, they will count on you as a true paint expert. That means more business!
• Ask if they have sensitivity to odors. — Inform them how Zero VOC products would be more suitable for people who are sensitive to odors. They can breathe easy without lingering paint smell in the house.
• Promote “green” baby rooms — If you’re on social media, post photos of nurseries you’ve painted on Facebook mom’s groups and Instagram. Beyond showing off your work, putting the focus on children’s comfort can be a big motivator for parents and soon-to-be parents.
• Walk the walk — When your clients see that you are also concerned about the environment, they are more likely to want to work with you. Therefore, consider initiating green “best practices” in your business … and then promote your eco-friendliness! From recycling or donating leftover paint; to using extra paint on another project; to, perhaps, replacing older vehicles with more fuel-efficient models, there are numerous ways to show that your “greenness” isn’t just a fad, but an integral part of your company’s philosophy.

So, as we celebrate the “green” month of April, now is the perfect moment to embrace the movement, help preserve our Earth, and transform the built environment into a thing of lasting beauty — not to mention, grow your business.