Greener for less $$$$

By HEATHER M. O’CONNOR, Special to Sun Media

Environmentally conscious consumers expect to pay a little more for “green” products. Organic produce, clean Bullfrog Power, an EnergyStar-qualified home – they all cost us a little more.

But there’s at least one green choice that doesn’t have to hit you in the pocketbook. The Earth-friendly line of paints, stains and primers from Quebec-based Boomerang doesn’t cost more, it costs less. You pay just $16 for a gallon – about 60% of what you’d fork over for a comparable mid-range product.

Why? Because Boomerang is recycled. Recycled paint is new to Ontario, but it’s been sold for over a decade in Quebec. Though Ontario consumers initially wrinkled their noses at the notion of recycled paint when Boomerang was introduced two years ago, sales consultant Steve Blasiak says the times, they are a-changing.

The brand is making slow but steady inroads, thanks to rising consumer interest in sustainable alternatives. And why shouldn’t Boomerang measure up to its competition? asks Blasiak. It is, after all, composed of the very paints it competes with. And it’s not just cheaper than those brands, it’s also healthier. Boomerang is low-VOC, meaning that it contains less than 250 grams/litre of volatile organic compounds – noxious chemicals like benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, xylene and other toxins that dissolve into the air we breathe for up to three months before dissipating. VOCs – suspected carcinogens – can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches and irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract when released indoors. They also contribute to poor outdoor air quality and smog.

Blasiak says Boomerang doesn’t make a zero-VOC paint, like some paint companies, but notes those paints don’t remain VOC-free for long anyway.

“The funny thing about zero-VOC paint is that as soon as you colour it, the minute you put tint in it, it has VOCs. Because the colourants are full of VOCs. So you find just as much VOC in a can of zero-VOC paint that’s been coloured as you do with Boomerang recycled paint.”

The company commissioned a “footprint” study of their manufacturing process. “We considered our collection procedure, how we collect raw materials, our mixing procedure, how much energy we use – everything,” says Blasiak. “Then we needed a benchmark.”

They looked at the most environmentally friendly paint the other companies are making – zero-VOC paint – and measured factors like where they got their raw materials, shipping across the ocean, hauling it with diesel trucks back and forth to the factory and the energy that consumes.

“Compared to a can of brand-new zero-VOC paint, we emit 88% less carbon dioxide,” Blasiak says. “I’m now talking to a huge property manager who uses 100,000 gallons of paint a year. He claims to be one of the greenest property managers around. I did the mathematics. He would save a million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere if he simply switched over to Boomerang.”

Using Boomerang doesn’t mean settling for less. Boomerang conducts tests to ensure product quality and colour accuracy. It comes in a range of sixteen latex shades, four alkyds and six stains.

Find a local retailer by visiting http://www.boomerangpaint.ca.

0 comments