Greenwashing: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You!

EZ Strip, we do our best to utilize our experience and pass on relevant information because we want to help you make better decisions. If you're working towards making your home a healthy and beautiful place, please take a few minutes to understand what greenwashing is, why you should be aware, and why we test everything we sell.

 

Greenwashing: "Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image."

 

Seven signs of Green-washing 

1. The Hidden Trade-off: A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

    

2. No-Proof: An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence. 

    

3. Vagueness: A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

    

4. False Labels: A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

    

5. Irrelevance: An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

    

6. Lesser of Two Evils: A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

    

7. Fibbing: Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common example is products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

    

A New Trend

Non-toxic products used to be more expensive to manufacture than their toxic counterparts. This was due, in part, to the newness of the products and the small numbers of people using them. This trend has changed in the last few years; prices have fallen due to the widening market and the improvement of manufacturing techniques.

 

Demand for environmentally-friendly products is at an all-time high, not only in the building market but in the clothing and food markets as well. As the world wakes up to the lasting value and joy of using healthy building materials, we fully expect this trend to continue for a long time to come.

 

In addition to understanding the nature of Eco-products, we're also involved on the local level in using these products to help build a sustainable future. We promote healthy building environments, belong to trade associations, we donate products to non-profit organizations, we roll up our sleeves to get hands on with community improvement projects, and we consult with clients nationwide who personally test and use green building products.

 

We hope this information has helped you understand some of the tactics companies use to water down facts and confuse customers into buying their products.  

 

EZ Strip's mission is to provide hazard education and safe product options in the removal/stripping industry one of the more potentially hazardous sections of the building industry. 

Visit the EZ Strip website @ EZstrip.ca today for information on our products and how we can help you!

Paint Stripper: Toxic Product Watch List

A guy was using a common paint stripper to remove a bathtub coating in a small bathroom in an apartment building. A window was partially open for ventilation. The solution he was using contained 85% to 90% methylene chloride. He was found unconscious two hours after the project began. His cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation with acute methylene chloride toxicity. This happens in North America more than you think and the EPA is now working towards making stricker regulations in response to the overwhelming evidence of health risks posed by the use of paint strippers. Its top 2 chemicals of concern are methylene chloride and n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP).

Methylene chloride can cause a range of adverse health effects or death in workers and consumers, including harm to the central nervous system, liver and kidney toxicity, and cancer. NMP exposure risks during paint or coating removal, include neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. Risks particularly to pregnant women – from exposure are of extreme concern as NMP can pass through the placenta and harm the baby.

Here is just some of the common paint stripping products that contain these chemicals. It's recommended you avoid using these stripping products when ever possible and look for safe alternatives we have provided a link for safer options below.



Circa 1850 Paint & Varnish Remover - methylene chloride

 Citristrip Stripping Gel - NMP

 Dads Easy Spray Paint & Varnish Remover - methylene chloride

 DS Super Remover -  methylene chloride

 Dynamic Surf Pro The Paint and Varnish Buster - methylene chloride







        Goof Off Graffiti Remover - NMP

 

 Heirloom Furniture Stripper - methylene chloride

        Jasco Paint & Epoxy Remover - methylene chloride

  Klean Strip Natural Strip X-Stripper - methylene chloride

 Minwax Paint & Varnish Remover -  methylene chloride



 

 Multi Strip Professional Paint Stripper - NMP


 

 Peel Away 7 - NMP

 Ready Strip Plus Paint & Varnish Remover - NMP






 Super Strip - methylene chloride

  Zinsser Stripfast Furniture Refinisher - methylene chloride

  Zip-Strip Premium Paint and Finish Remover - methylene chloride





These brands and many other stripping products currently available contain hazardous chemicals that are toxic and not safe for consumer use without extensive protective equipment and forced ventilation. They need a lot more than opening a window to protect yourself from a lethal exposure.

The EPA recommends using water based or vegetable based strippers as a safe alternative. The most effective water based strippers and removers on the market today is the brand EZ Strip.

Visit the EZ Strip website today for product details and purchase info @ EZstrip.ca 

 

Check out the we're green page to see what sets EZ Strip apart from the rest @ We're-Green

Renovation Clean Up

Congratulations on your newly completed home renovation or home improvement project. Now all that's left is the clean up! For some projects all you need is a good vacuum and some soap & water to clean up. For other projects you may need something a lot stronger but that doesn't mean you need to put yourself at risk to complete your tough clean up task. For anyone who has ever done a big paint, refinish, or stain project you may notice the clean up part to not be as easy as you would like. And most of the removers for your clean up turn out to be quite toxic and dangerous to use especially inside your home!

So what do you do? Use the safer options from EZ Strip, the only strippers and removers designed for safe and easy use by everyone! No skin burns or toxic fumes, no environmental worries, and no additional products needed to finish. Unlike other strippers that require an additional neutralizer to complete, EZ Strip products neutralize with just water. Instead of having to specially dispose of your stripping waste at the local dump you can put it in your regular household garbage. Instead of having to throw away your rags and application tools from your clean up now you can just rinse them with water and re-use. Rags can go in the regular wash you can even use EZ Strip to remove paint from your clothing! All EZ Strip products are 100% water soluble and biodegradable so you don't have to worry about it going down the drain!      

Want to know if EZ Strip will work for you? Visit the website @ EZstrip.ca and see what EZ Strip can do for you!

Here are some before and after pics of EZ Strip's clean up power in action.

Before Raw Wood Stairs
-paint splatter
-glue drips
-grease residue
-dirt & grime

















After Treated with EZ Strip

EZ Strip can tackle a lot of tough clean up jobs after your home renovation or home improvement project use the EZ Strip All Purpose Remover for spot treatments and EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper for treating larger surface areas. Because life has never been this EZ!

EZstrip.ca

Painting: Finding the Right Finish & Color for Your Home!

Have you gone to purchase paint lately? There are so many choices in finishes that it could make your head spin. And then there is the color, choosing interior paint colors can be a difficult part of the painting process. Not only does color change how your home looks, but it can also alter your mood. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing interior paint colors and finishes to create the right ambiance for you and your space.

First choose your finish! There are a lot more choices today than there used to be so here are some details to help you make the right choice.

 

Flat/Matte Finish

Matte finish looks like what the name implies… matte. It works great if you need to camouflage small bumps or cracks. It works well because it does not reflect much light so in effect will hide problem areas. Flat finish paint is basically the same as a matte and is good for hallways and ceilings. Flat paints do not stand up well to very many washings.

Eggshell Finish

See how an eggshell reflects light? That is how reflective it will be on your walls. Eggshell can also be used in any room but works especially well for a nursery or bedroom. One other plus for eggshell… it holds up better to cleaning than a flat finish paint.

Satin Finish

Satin finish paint is a little shinier than eggshell. It has a soft, creamy sheen. It’s the easiest finish to work with as it can be used in any room and works very well in a living room or family room. Satin finish is good for walls where you want low reflection and a warm look. This finish will hold up well to multiple cleanings and a light scrubbing or two. If you just can’t decide what finish you like, use satin in every room, it will alleviate all your problems.

Semi-Gloss

Good ole’ semi-gloss is pretty shiny and was used a lot in kitchens or other areas that needed to be cleaned often. Now they are mainly used for trimming doors and windows and reviving cabinets. Follow the link for a safe how to refinish trim option Refinish Window and Door Frames They are also good for heavily used bathrooms. The shine of a semi-gloss repels dirt and moisture well so it's good in these areas. Be careful with this sheen as it will reflect a lot of light and could create some uncomfortable glare.

Gloss

Gloss finish paint is very shiny and mimics the look of enamel or plastic. Gloss is the most reflective finish. It is becoming very popular to use for a dramatic look on cabinets, trim and furniture.
A lot of prep work is required with this finish. If there are any imperfections in the item you are painting the finish will enhance the problem. That said, gloss is very durable and will hold up to many cleanings.

Now that you have a finish in mind let's pick the color! 

 

Step 1 – Considering Mood

Colors can impact your mood. For example, colors like red, yellow, and orange can stimulate feelings of warmth and togetherness. Red is also a passionate color than can energize, while green, blue, and violet are cool colors that can calm and soothe. When choosing interior paint colors for your walls, keep in mind what mood or feeling you’d like to achieve.

Step 2 – Understanding the Color Wheel

Understanding how colors complement one another is integral to creating a harmonious and unified space, whether you’re painting one or multiple rooms. To choose colors that work together, use a color wheel to find out which shades balance each other out.

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are found on opposite ends of the color wheel, such as violet and yellow. These colors are opposites, and they bring out the richness in one another, particularly when one shade is muted and the other is dominant.

Analogous Colors

You could also opt for analogous colors, which are hues found next to one another. Using two or three analogous colors together is calming and pleasing to the eye.

Step 3 – Thinking About Your Space

Colors can also be used to create illusions in your space, making a room feel smaller or larger. To give the illusion of higher ceilings, opt for a lighter ceiling color and darker wall color. To make a room look larger than it is, choose colors that are light and airy. Conversely, you can scale down an oversized room by using darker hues.

Step 4 – Planning Your Color Scheme

Once you’ve decided which basic colors you want in your home, consider using a color palette for each room. For instance, you may want to include an accent wall, which will draw the eye to that space and often make your room look larger. Although your whole house doesn’t have to be the same color, you should also make sure the color scheme flows from room to room, complementing each other to unify the spaces.

Step 5 – Finalizing a Plan

Once you’ve made the above considerations, you can develop a color plan for each room. With a plan in mind, head to your local hardware store to select a few color paint chips or samples. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades at this stage. While you can't go wrong with popular interior-wall color choices, be sure to tailor your color palette to your preferences.

Tip: Once you've chosen your chips, tape them to the wall of the room you’re painting. If you have the time, try leaving the samples in place for a few days to look at them at different times of the day with different lighting to determine the best hue for the room.

Need to Strip or Smooth Out the Surface First?

Stripping surfaces has always been the most hazardous task when prepping a surface for paint. Now there is a safe option that is skin safe and free of health hazardous fumes called EZ Strip. EZ Strip strippers and removers clean up with just water, won't damage the surface your stripping, and unlike other strippers are completely safe for disposal in your regular household garbage. Whether your looking for a stripper for your cabinets and trim, need a DIY friendly remover for painted popcorn ceilings, or a professional strength remover for mistakes, drips or spills EZ Strip as got you covered! Visit the EZ Strip website for removal details and purchase options today @ EZstrip.ca  

Sign The Petition: Getting Toxic Chemicals Off Store Shelves!

 If you’ve ever used a can of paint stripper, you know it smells toxic. But did you know that even short-term exposure could be deadly? 

 

Under the newly reformed Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed limits on the use of two common chemicals in paint strippers methylene chloride (DCM) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Your voice can help make sure the final regulations are strong sign the petition—take action now to get these dangerous chemicals off store shelves and out of the workplace.

Paint strippers containing (DCM) have been linked to more than 50 deaths nationwide since the 1980’s—many from projects like refinishing bathtubs in confined spaces. Long-term exposure has been linked to liver toxicity, liver cancer and lung cancer.

NMP exposure puts women of childbearing age and pregnant women—whether exposed at home or on the job—at risk of harm to their fetuses. And workers chronically exposed to NMP are at risk of liver damage and cancer. There’s even evidence that solvent exposure in men can result in damaged sperm causing birth defects and low birth weight. For full article: saferchemicals.org

The good news is that safer alternatives are readily available—but we need EPA to ban both of these chemicals from the products available on store shelves and in the workplace!

 

Looking for an effective and safe alternative to chemical stripping? Visit the link below for my top recommendation to safer stripping! Thanks for reading!

                    EZstrip.ca

Water Power: Advances In Water Based Technology

 

Water, it covers 71% of the Earth's surface, the average human body is 60% water, and the most purest solvent in the world is you guessed it water! Using the most abundant resource on the planet water based technology has become a reality. Now we can use water technology powered products to help keep our water sources clean from some of the most toxic chemicals threatening our aquatic life and environment. One of the number one toxic products used in regular households and rarely disposed of properly is paint strippers. Chemical stripping products can be purchased by anyone at your local hardware store, pose serious health and environmental risks, and require special protective equipment/disposal that is often not followed. Methylene Chloride is a very common stripping chemical and the most dangerous. Its carcinogenic, over exposure can cause death, extremely flammable, not soluble in water, and completely devastating to aquatic life and the environment. It contaminates everything it touches! So what can you do? Purchase safe options, water based strippers are available and one company that has perfected and patented the best in water based removal technology is EZ Strip! Creating a full line of high performing strippers and removers that can completely replace the need for toxic stripping chemicals like Methylene Chloride is just what EZ Strip did. Remove everything from paint, varnish, lacquer, graffiti, glue, tape, stickers, decals, grease, gum, bugs, tar, tree sap, markers, crayons, wax, ink, adhesives, even painted drywall textures (yup they got something for that). EZ Strip water based removal formulas are 100% water soluble, biodegradable, skin safe, free of harsh choking fumes, and they work! You may not get the instant removal results you get with the toxic stuff but with a little patience we can help save the planet's most precious life giving resource, water. Let's face it no clean water equals no people! If you want to learn more about EZ Strip's features, benefits, and products visit EZstrip.ca today! The one thing we all have is purchase power show you care and buy environmentally friendly options the next time you shop.

 

The EZ Strip Channel: What's New On You Tube?

 You Tube as become the information hub for how to videos. Now you can teach yourself how to do just about anything with hands on visual aids just a click away! Watch step by step tutorials, engage in comment conversations, even share your findings with friends so they can learn too! EZ Strip has embraced this social sharing tool to share safer removal options when taking on tough removal or refinish projects in your home. Some of the most hazardous stripper and remover products you can buy at the hardware store can be replaced with safe and effective products from EZ Strip. Here are some short how to clips from The EZ Strip Channel on You Tube so you can see our safer options in action!  
 

EZ Strip All Purpose Remover

The Everything Remover

All Purpose Remover

EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper

Safe Paint Stripping

Paint & Varnish Stripper

EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover

Painted Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Painted Drywall Texture Removal

Visit The EZ Strip Channel for more great How To Videos today!

Want to learn more about EZ Strip and where to buy EZ Strip products?

Visit The EZ Strip Website today!