GreenChoices

Green building & DIY companies

The GreenChoices DIY section explains the environmental issues surrounding DIY: sources of wood and other materials, toxic chemicals including paints and waste of resources generally. But the DIY suppliers listed below are making greener DIY easier. Most of the suppliers are very knowledgeable about their products and can provide advice on them. Some also provide information sheets or offer consultancy services.

• Construction Resources, based in central London, 'is Britain's first ecological builders merchant, and a centre for ecological building.' They also provide training events, books, magazines, leaflets and a consultancy service.

• Earth and Reed are a Suffolk-based retailer of sustainable building and eco-decorating materials.

• Eco Merchant supplies all forms of sustainable building materials to the trade and general public. We offer considered advice on the selection of materials most suited to the client and environment.

• Green Building Store sells products which promote healthier and more environment-friendly buildings, including natural paints.

• The Green Shop for paints and finishes, water-based paint and varnish remover; also renewable energy and rainwater harvesting products.

• Natural Building Technologies is a technical sales company specialising in sustainable building materials and systems for the mainstream construction market. Their systems deliver low energy and low carbon solutions on the continent and the UK and their range of products includes natural insulation, eco-renovation products and interior and exterior paints.

• Calch Tŷ-Mawr Lime - 'The Welsh Centre for Traditional and Ecological Building'. Products include lime mortars, plasters and limewashes, and natural paints, insulation materials and earth products.

• Old House Store - 'Traditional Materials for Modern Times'.

• Salvoweb provides an online directory of salvage traders.

Many green products can be found at ordinary DIY chains such as B&Q stores and Homebase

Natural paints - suppliers

Many of the suppliers listed above may also sell paints.

• Auro Natural Paint (voted 'Favourite Ethical Product' 2003 (DIY/Home Improvement Category) by readers of the Ethical Consumer Magazine)

• Homeatherapy - UK distributor of Livos paints

• Ecos Organic Paints

• Keim Mineral Paints. Water-based paint system for mineral substrates, including exterior finishes

• Nutshell Natural Paints Nutshell uses only naturally sourced raw materials including oils, herbs and minerals and claim to  have a radical approach as it takes a holistic view of all the issues involved in sourcing materials, manufacture, application and disposal, i.e. the whole life span of a product including packaging.

A detailed comparison of natural paints from different manufacturers is available from Ethical Consumer magazine (ask for the Oct/Nov 2002 issue).

See the paint section for reasons why you should consider using natural paints.