After decades in which society has been dominated by consumerism, we have arrived at a point in which the importance of caring for the environment has taken precedence. Now is the time to consider more sustainable materials.
Graphenstone, an ecological paint brand that redefines the boundaries of paint.
Antonio León J., President and CTO Graphenstone states his pint of view;
“Me, as a chemist, I wanted to focus my contribution towards paving a new way for all of humanity. I did it! By developing new formulations that would give the coatings industry, consumers and the environment a more sustainable, ecological choice. To choose an alternative to traditional plastic based paints”. León continues, “Plastics pollute and kill the environment and its inhabitants. Microplastics are the fourth largest sector in the world that contributes to the greatest amount of pollution in our aquifers, rivers and seas, and I wanted to do something about it.”
December 2013, Graphenstone was born. “In that year, we created the first product, pot (bucket) of ecological paint in the market. We began to revolutionize the paint industry, locally, nationally and internationally “.
Thus, Graphenstone began producing and marketing a range of products that are made of natural materials. “The best!”, emphasizes León, “the first two products we launched in 2013, Biosphere for exterior facades and Ecosphere for interiors, had been developed based on formulations that are free from plastics, without harmful preservatives and solvents. They are products that have no emissions and contain no harmful carcinogenic or mutagenic substances. In fact, because we eliminated the need for plastic, these products absorb CO2 and purify the air. Houses, buildings, schools and hospitals now have breathable walls that reduce condensation and don’t contribute to the development fungi and bacteria. This reduces the risk of lung infections, asthma and other ailments.”
Present and Future of the Industry of paints and coatings
Nowadays, large paint companies are investing a significant amount of resource in Research, Development and Innovation, looking mainly at biodegradable raw materials, biodegradable plastics without a perceived footprint, which are easily removed, and totally green in waste management.
In my opinion, says the CEO of Graphenstone, “The Committee of the Regions welcomes the Commission’s proposal. There are many industry colleagues who confirm my opinion and see it as a real madness. It’s a way of throwing the ball forward, without sense, and without building a solid foundation for the future. A Green Wash solution today, tugging at social consciousness for the sake of sales. I can launch a product on the market which I call Biodegradable Plastic Paint. It sounds like a green solution, but it’s counterproductive. The same analogy could be drawn on a diesel electric generator in the way it can generate electricity to charge an electric car.
Are we crazy? We must think about products which first, do not draw their raw materials from the food industry.
Let’s imagine for a moment the entire worldwide industry of 400 paints manufacturers and the billions of dollars spent using this kind organic raw material. At what price would we have for our food? Rich people could paint their houses while others starve to death. Is that called an organic product? Is that circular economy? Is that the new generation of coatings? That’s why, I ask you, to be intellectual and live with social meaning and consciousness”.
León explains, “Graphenstone is not a product, it’s a concept, a philosophy. A way of understanding the planet, our future and the future of our resources. To build and renovate buildings of the future, requires a new way of thinking to traditional low VOC plastic paints. They must utilize environmentally friendly, sustainable non-toxic ingredients, to implement the concept of truly sustainable construction finishing. This is what we are and how it will be.” This philosophy has driven Graphenstone in four years, to have a presence throughout the world in more than 38 countries including Pakistan.
The toxicity of the plastic paints
It is important to point out that plastic paints are products are high in toxicity. Their formulations contain materials that can cause very serious illnesses due to volatile organic compounds (VOC). Subsequently, they produce a larger problem. The waste that is generated in the production their composition, the moment of application, their wear and tear and also their elimination.
Plastic paints and coatings contain toxic solvents, substances that may cause or contribute to the development of cancer such as titanium dioxide. The use of other additives, such as paint preservatives may contribute to cancer and birth defects. These materials can also contribute to multitude of other diseases and increase the likelihood of breathing difficulties, such as chemical sensitivity, asthma, respiratory failure etc.