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Ecopaints sincerely believe we have found the most eco
friendly organically green natural paint products currently available
and although we found that almost every UK paint retailer or manufacturer we contacted were either
unwilling; or perhaps to be more charitable, were unable, to fully disclose product content our
supplier is more than happy to do so - and confirm their statements in writing.
What We Discovered!
Getting straight-forward answers from almost all manufacturers was a bit like trying to 'get blood
from a stone' when you don't even know if a stone exists, and have no idea which type of blood it may
contain - if any!
We often felt like we were playing a part in that movie where newspaper
reporters were trying to find out what cigarette manufacturers knew
about the risks of smoking - an apt analogy, perhaps?
Here is a typical example of a telephone conversation. We were responding to the
magazine advertisement placed by a well known and respected company of natural and organic paint:
-
Hello. Several members of my family have chemically sensitive allergies, and
paint containing inorganic materials and petrochemical solvents usually set them off. Would you
therefore please tell me which of your products do not contain these types of materials?
A: All our products are suitable for allergy sufferers, because they contain natural ingredients.
-
Good - now let me check I heard your correctly. Are you telling me all your
products are suitable for allergy suffers?
A: Yes
Great - which allergies have they been tested against, or which allergies have you been told by
customer are not triggered by your natural paint?
A: Hmm - I don't think they have been tested to see if they trigger allergies, we just know they
don't.
How do you know that?
A: Because we have been selling natural and organic paint for many years, and have lots of
satisfied customers
How many of those satisfied customers have chemically sensitive allergies?
A: We don't keep that type of personal information
-
Sorry - I have obviously not explained myself clearly enough. Can you please
tell me which of your natural paint products do not contain petrochemical solvents or inorganic
materials which are known, or are suspected to be, triggers for chemically sensitive allergy
sufferers?
A: Why would you want to know that - we can't give you that information, its commercially
confidential
-
OK, but how are we going to find out which of your organic paints is suitable
for use in my home, if you will not answer basic questions about the content of your products?
A: Sorry sir, we do not have that information, you will need to speak with the technical
department
-
OK, can you please put me through to somebody in the technical department?
A: Sorry sir! The technical department do not talk to members of the public
-
OK - can you pass questions to the technical department and get them to send me
the answer through the post or via email?
A: What questions would you like answered?
After restating the initial question (above), and waiting for it to be written down and read back
to me, the next response came as a bit of a surprise.
A: If you tell me what chemicals your family are allergic to, I will tell you which products do
not contain that material!
-
By answering my question in this manner, it is clear some of your products
probably contain inorganic materials, and more importantly, you are clearly able to obtain that
information without reference to your techies. Therefore, please tell me which of your natural
paint products do not contain inorganic materials or petrochemical solvents?
A: (In a very condescending tone) Its paint sir, you put it on walls, why is it so important for
you to know how we make it? That information is commercially confidential.
-
Sorry, we are clearly not understanding each other - you have again
answered my question with a question, so lets try a different approach. - Pause for breathe - Do
any of your natural or organic paint products actually contain natural and/or organic materials?
A: Yes sir - they all do!
-
Thank you - Do any of your natural or organic paint products contain inorganic
solvents, fungicides or preservatives, and if so, which ones?
A: To which product are you referring?
......... and so on!
After 10 minutes of this type of word and mind game, we came to the conclusion
that being open and honest with customers is something not held in high regard by this
manufacturer/supplier.
More importantly however, is this conversation was not a one-off. This type of
conversation occurred with almost all existing, prominent, well respected and established players we
contacted in the UK natural paint market place - frankly, we were not at all impressed.
-
What do they have to hide? This is the question we keep asking ourselves - and
one which we are no closer to getting answered
However, we feel reasonably certain that when this amount of secrecy exists, there has to be a
reason for it - and we doubt it will be for the customers benefit
As a customer, if we have to try this hard to obtain basic information about a
product we are intending to buy and use in our own home, then we vote with our feet ..........and
take our business elsewhere!
The only natural paint supplier we contacted that was willing and open enough to
provide straight-forward, honest advice - even when it was not necessarily in their interest to do so
- was AURO.
At Ecopaints, we like to feel we can trust a supplier. Their integrity, products
and ethics should be beyond reproach - and
we certainly like AURO. So much so, that we joined
them!
Ecopaints are now the Premier UK Supplier of AURO
products.
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