Celebrating Earth Day with Graphenstone paints

Planet vs. Plastics

Every year, on April 22nd, over a billion individuals observe Earth Day to safeguard the planet from pollution and deforestation. Participating in activities such as picking up litter and planting trees makes our world a happier and healthier place to live.

Earth Day has a specific theme: raising awareness about critical environmental issues every year. This year's focus is on the theme "Planet vs. Plastics". This theme aims to call for widespread advocacy about the health risks of plastics, rapidly phase out all single-use plastics, urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on plastic pollution and demand an end to fast fashion.

We’ve written about Earth Day before, and here are some handy  Earth-friendly activities to motivate you.

We are delighted to see the brands we collaborate with taking positive measures to contribute towards a better environment. From production and shipment to material sourcing and end-of-life recyclability, it's lovely to see companies like Graphenstone Paints leading the way in environmental sustainability. Their paints are highly certified, with accolades such as the cradle-to-cradle gold and silver certification, GreenRate certification, and an Environmental Product Declaration and Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort (VOC emission report).

Graphenstone Paints is the World’s most certified green paint brand

The people behind Graphenstone Paints believe everyone is responsible for sustaining and caring for the planet. They’re committed to creating environmentally friendly and high-quality paints using natural materials that are safe for people and the earth.

“A range of products that are as eco-friendly as healthy and free of harmful substances. Our goal is to achieve the well-being of people and the positive impact on the environment.” – Graphenstone paints on Sustainability.

Carbon Eating Murals

The Rise Up residency program aimed to promote sustainability by using carbon-absorbing paint, plastic-free production, and post-production carbon evaluation to offset our carbon footprint. To achieve this goal, they relied on Graphenstone paints. Graphenstone Paints are made with an artisanal lime paste base extracted using traditional methods. The lime in the paint absorbs CO2 during the carbonation process, which occurs after application and as the paint dries (for around 30 days), thereby improving air quality. Graphenstone also has a photocatalytic paint, AmbientPro+, which helps to decompose organic compounds and inorganic gases, reducing air pollution. This makes Graphenstone paints a perfect choice for the Rise Up. Clean Up Initiative.

Earth's canvas: Murals inspiring planet protection

We were very interested in seeing graphenstone paint used in the Margate “Rise up Residency campaign” last year. A group of seventeen local and international artists used art to shed light on ocean conservation and the detrimental effects of plastic pollution.

Graphenstone exterior paints are perfect for outdoor murals, particularly this campaign, because they are entirely plastic-free.

The murals in Margate will serve as an educational tool for the community to learn about ocean biodiversity, plastic hazards, and ocean species. The aim is to inspire, unite, and empower visitors and the community to reduce plastics and show respect for the ocean. These murals will remain in the town as a backdrop for educational purposes.

The devastating effects of plastic pollution on our beloved fish, birds, and marine animals cannot be ignored. From ingestion to entanglement, these creatures face heartbreaking outcomes. It warms my heart to see an artist taking action by creating murals throughout Margate to raise awareness about this urgent issue. Let us all join in the effort to protect and preserve our precious wildlife.

Rise Up. Clean Up Initiative

Rise Up Residency is a Community Interest Company set up in the summer of 2020 to respond to the litter crisis affecting Margate’s coastline, ocean, and native wildlife. They are committed to making Margate the next plastic-free beachside town and conduct regular beach cleans. Since 2020, 40 beach cleans have seen a staggering 909 bags of rubbish collected.

For more details about Rise Up residency and their plans for the future, https://riseupresidency.co.uk/murals.

Aberporth is leading the way as one of the first places to go completely plastic-free

Like Margate, we had our own clean-up rising in 2019. Aberporth, a charming seaside village with a strong community of 1100 or so people and very local to us at  Celtic Sustainables, has become completely single-use plastic-free. Indeed, it was one of the very first plastic-free communities. Our Morag was part of the volunteer organising team then and created information for local businesses, organised beach cleanups and more.

Hearing about communities taking significant steps towards sustainability and environmental preservation is wonderful. We wish Margate every success! By working to eliminate single-use plastics from their local shops and cafes and cleaning up their environment, everyone can set a fantastic example for other communities to follow.

Cleanup for a better future

Get involved and help create a waste-free world. To find a cleanup near you, visit  Earthday.org.