DIY - the greener options

The materials and finishes you choose for your DIY jobs can have an impact on the environment. Friendly materials don't necessarily cost more and many are widely available:

Most paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to humans, wildlife, plants and even building materials. When you are choosing a paint, finish or preservative, try to find the one with the lowest impact possible for the job you are doing:

- Many paints have a label showing VOC content - choose the lowest VOC product you can.
- Check to see if there is a hazard warning on the label. If you have the choice, choose a product without a hazard warning.
- 'Natural' or 'all natural' paints, milk paints and white washes can have a lower impact than ordinary paint.
- Try not to buy more paint than you need - a lot of paint that people buy is never used.
- Look out for heavy metals and that paints are manufactured with reduced solvent emissions and waste by-products.

Disposing of paint, finishes and preservatives

Paints, finishes and preservatives need to be disposed of properly, as they can be toxic. This is particularly important if they display an orange hazard label:

- Always read the label.
- Do not pour paint or other chemicals down the drain.
- If paints are poured into drains or disposed of in normal household waste then hazardous chemicals can get into the environment - contact your local authority for guidance on disposal.
- You can usually take paint to your local civic amenity site, but some councils will collect it.
- You may be able to donate unwanted paint to Community RePaint - this is a network of projects around the UK that distributes unwanted paint to charities, community projects and people living on low incomes.

The wider issue

Over a quarter of timber available in the UK has been produced illegally. Illegal logging and unsustainable forestry practices destroy natural habitats and contribute to climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so if they are cut down and not replaced there will be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Using eco-friendly wood

- Try using reclaimed wood - this saves energy and resources.
- Buy certified wood to avoid encouraging trade in illegal timber.
- Sustainable timber, and other sustainable wood products, can be found by looking for labels from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) or other forest certification schemes - ask your retailer about certification schemes

Find out more about the environment and living a greener lifestyle at Directgov