Painting a Sustainable Future
Our Vision
We’re not claiming to be the world’s only environmentally conscious decorating company. In fact, we hope to soon live in a world where no one has to shout about their environmental practices because they’re simply the norm.
Unfortunately, decorating has a reputation for being a "dirty word" in the environmental sphere. From waste to chemicals to resins in paints, there’s still a long way to go, but we’re chipping away at our model as we move forward.
We’re building a world where painting and decorating set a new standard—one that is more trustworthy for people and kinder to the planet. Part of that trust means breaking down how we are making gradual, meaningful changes to elevate our people and the spaces they inhabit.
Building Environmentally Friendly Practices
Even small changes can make a significant impact. On-site, we’ve implemented several sustainable strategies across our projects, including:
- Transport: We use an electric car and two electric work vans to reduce emissions when travelling between jobs.
- Reducing Plastic Use: Our painters are given reusable Paint The Town Green bags and water bottles to cut down on single-use plastic.
- Sustainable Workwear: Our decorators wear clothing made from recycled organic cotton, which is further recycled when no longer fit for use.
Sustainable Product Choices
Over the years, we’ve swapped out some traditional but problematic products for more sustainable alternatives, including:
- Biodegradable plastic sheeting
- Recycled scuttle and kettle liners
- Biodegradable cleaning wipes
- Cardboard floor protection
- On-site, we also use dustless sanders that filter air down to 0.1 microns, significantly reducing our carbon footprint—especially important when working on heritage projects.
We’re committed to this process, and while we don’t have full control as subcontractors for bigger projects, sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds.
Eco-friendly Paint and Materials
It’s your choice which paint brand you use, though we would always suggest you opt for an environmentally conscious option. We have great relationships with some of the world’s leading eco-conscious paint brands, including House of Hackney, Graphenstone, and Edward Bulmer. At the very least, we recommend choosing water-based paints. These paints emit low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which, when released into the air, contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases, as well as contaminating groundwater and drinking water. VOCs can also lead to potential health issues.
Water-based paints are quick to dry, easy to apply, and low in odour. If you’d like help choosing a paint brand and colours for your home, contact us to arrange a colour consultation today.
Waste Reduction and Circular Economy
We’ve recently introduced stickers (printed with vegan ink on recycled paper), which our team will leave on any half-used paint tins in your home. This means if wear and tear occur over the years, you can easily touch up areas yourself—and more importantly, you’ll know exactly which colour went where.
While we always aim to accurately estimate how much paint will be required for a project, there are occasions where we have our own paint left over. In this instance when clients don’t want to keep their paint and ask us to dispose of it, we are able to do so responsibly through our partnership with Paint360, a social enterprise that recycles and re-engineers unwanted paint that would otherwise end up in landfill. We’ve been delighted to hear how our homeowners have responded to this initiative and are happy to cover the cost of repurposing their paint in an ethical and community minded manor.
On top of this, we’ve donated paint to All Farthing School, Southfields Academy, and even sent a donation to an English and Arabic school in Ghana.
Urban Greening and Biodiversity Conservation
One of our significant contributions to counteract our carbon footprint is our partnership with Trees for Cities, an urban greening and biodiversity conservation initiative. With rapid urbanisation taking place, we recognise the importance of preserving nature within urban landscapes, and as such, we donate a tree for every project we undertake during the year.
This is our humble attempt to preserve iconic tree species and improve the air quality in urban areas. Not only do these efforts enhance the aesthetic of cities, but they also foster a healthier and more sustainable environment for both residents and wildlife.
Beyond The Brush: A Holistic Approach to Sustainability
Our vision for the future is to embed and educate sustainable decorating into the hearts and minds of homeowners.
This year, we worked with Furnishing Futures, a charity that repurposes furniture that would otherwise go to landfill, using it to furnish trauma-informed healing homes for women and children affected by domestic abuse.
We aim to continue our recent video efforts, educating our community on sustainable decorating, furniture reuse, and upcycling, as well as looking into hosting community workshops on eco-friendly decorating techniques such as lime washing.
If you haven’t seen our videos yet, why not take a look at this tutorial where our founder and ex-decorator Phil shows you the tools you need for upcycling.
We are also planting the seeds for future training and development projects with Paint The Town Green… watch this space!
The Road Ahead: Our Sustainability Commitment
It’s a long and exciting road ahead, and while our initiatives are moving in the right direction, we appreciate that there are always new practices and materials that can help make our company more sustainable.
We strive to remain accountable and completely transparent. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us to help us on our journey.
If you like the sound of what we do, why not get started and book a call today?