Earthly tone to home decorating

By now most people are fully aware of the necessity of preserving and protecting the environment in order to ensure our well-being and that of our children. This "be kind to the planet" awareness has led to the latest trend in home décor - the growth in popularity of environmentally-conscious "green" products.

You've seen them everywhere - "green" roofing options, "green" heating and cooling choices, "green" appliances, "green" flooring and now even "green" paint.

Sico, a long-time leader in environmentally-friendly paints, has gone even greener. The brand launched last year a new volatile organic compound (VOC) emissionfree formula of its famous Sico Design line to answer the need in the market for greener paint choices.

Dominique Pépin, Senior Brand Manager at Sico said the company felt the timing was perfect as consumers are more and more preoccupied by environmental issues. Legislation is expected to be introduced this year that will require paint companies to lower the VOC levels in their products. "Sico has taken the lead in completely eliminating VOCs in our Design line products to reinforce our commitment to the environment and to Canadian consumers, who are increasingly seeking out green alternatives," she added.

Available in all of Sico's design finishes - including Cashmere, Chamois, and Shantung - the new zero- VOC paint is high in performance, so consumers do not have to compromise on quality when making environmentally responsible paint choices, she explained.

VOCs are atmospheric pollutants that, among other things, contribute to the formation of smog. They evaporate at room temperature and react in sunlight to help form ground-level ozone, an integral component of smog and a harmful pollutant (not to be confused with the protective ozone in the upper atmosphere, which shields the earth from the sun's ultra-violet rays). Smog can cause respiratory complications, skin and eye irritation, headaches, nausea, tightness of chest, coughing, muscle weakness, and more serious ailments and diseases.

"In the home, VOCs evaporate while paint is applied and drying, making them one of the pollutants affecting a home's air quality as well," Pépin explained. "So, consumers using Sico's new paint will actually be improving the quality of air in their homes." Since the paint is still a chemical product, however, Pépin cautions that it must be used and disposed of safely.

Developed using Sico's state-of-the-art paint technology, incorporating environmentally friendly ingredients and sophisticated polymers, the new zero- VOC paints deliver outstanding performance, resistance and adhesion - product features which have until now been an industry challenge with low-VOC finishes, she said.

- News Canada