According to a new study, paint particles contribute to the concentration of microplastics in the world’s oceans. Linseed oil paints are considered an environmentally friendly alternative. They have long been used in conservation and restoration, as Ralph-Uwe Johann explains using the example of Gunnar Ottosson’s Swedish manufactory The paint industry is one of the sectors that contributes the most to primary microplastics in the oceans.
According to a new study, paint particles contribute to the concentration of microplastics in the world’s oceans. Linseed oil paints are considered an environmentally friendly alternative. They have long been used in conservation and restoration, as Ralph-Uwe Johann explains using the example of Gunnar Ottosson’s Swedish manufactory
The paint industry is one of the sectors that contributes the most to primary microplastics in the oceans and waterways. On average, 7.4 tons of coloured macro- and microplastics are released into the environment every year, 1.9 million tons of which end up in the oceans – a considerable amount.
This was the conclusion of the study “Plastic paints the Environment” by the research-based consultancy Environmental Action (EA). The central questions of the 2021 study were the extent to which microplastics affect the world’s oceans and the extent to which plastic paints contribute to their pollution. After all, paints have an average plastic content of around 37 percent.
Conclusion: using more environmentally friendly paints
Basically, two main factors are responsible for global plastic pollution. Macroplastics enter the environment through improperly treated waste and decompose into microplastics over time (Jambeck et al., 2015). Abrasion and wear of paints from commercial ships and offshore drilling rigs, for example, release primary microplastics, which are then released directly into the oceans (Boucher & Friot, 2017). In view of the level of environmental pollution caused by plastic paints, the study concludes, it is all the more important that more environmentally friendly paints are used in as many areas as possible and that appropriate methods for handling paints are developed.
The study is intended to help combat and prevent plastic pollution in practice
Dr. Paola Paruta, Environmental Analyst at Environmental Action (EA) and lead author of the study, says: “Our report fills an important knowledge gap in the field of microplastic pollution. Our aim is to provide useful information to stimulate further research and concrete action to tackle and prevent microplastics and plastic pollution in general.”
The research results provide information on the level of pollution
“The report should be seen as a wake-up call for the coatings industry and its customers,” explains Declan Mc Adams, CEO of Pinovo. The Norwegian company commissioned the independent study. “It is important that the industry finds less harmful and more viable alternative methods. We need a systematic change in the use and treatment of paint now that this research has shed light on the level of pollution.”
Linseed oil paints are a natural alternative to plastic paints
Linseed oil paints from Swedish paint manufacturer Ottosson Färgmakeri, which has been producing paints exclusively from linseed oil and traditional pigments in its factory for three decades, are a natural alternative to plastic paints. From the very beginning, the founder focused on the concept of sustainability – long before climate change made the term ubiquitous. The boiled linseed oil serves as a binder for the paint, which does not require any other additives. Linseed oil paints, like plastic paints, are suitable for almost any surface. However, if it gets into the environment, it is completely harmless.
“Conservation and restoration can make a significant contribution to the sustainable use of resources”
Ralph-Uwe Johann, Managing Director of Deffner & Johann, a specialist wholesaler for materials, tools and equipment in the field of restoration and monument conservation (Röthlein), has long relied on Ottosson Färgmakeri products. “Conservation and restoration can make a significant contribution to the sustainable use of resources,” says Johann. “The preservation and conversion of monuments offer considerable potential for saving building materials and energy.” Furthermore, materials in their traditional use are often significantly more sustainable when the entire life cycle is considered. “Binder systems with a historical reference, such as lime or linseed oil, not only offer a favorable ecological balance, but are also often more resource-efficient in terms of production and maintenance,” Ralph-Uwe Johann continues.
You can take a look inside Gunnar Ottosson’s factory here:
The goal: responsible use of resources
Ultimately, a rethink is needed on the part of all those involved, i.e. manufacturers, entrepreneurs and consumers, in order to stop polluting our environment with plastic in any form. Each individual can contribute to this by avoiding plastic and disposing of waste properly. Only if we use resources responsibly and act sustainably in the future will it be possible to reduce pollution of the world’s oceans and the environment as a whole.
