Nutshell Super Eco Emulsion Paint Full Review
Posted: 15 May 2008 by Mark Harris
Nutshell Natural Paint's Super Eco Emulsion is indeed green, despite a website that touts its eco-friendliness to the point of overkill. These "healthy and wholesome" paints are made from "naturally sourced raw materials", it cries, using phrases normally attributed to greenwashers. There are even testimonials from "people whose allergies or other reactions to chemically based paints cleared after using Nutshell paints". Hm. We have to admit, we were a bit sceptical with all that talk.
But the Super Eco Emulsion is water-based, microporous (to help avoid flaking and blisters), and completely free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Its chalk and talcum-based formula is very similar to the slightly pricier Earthborn range, though, like all the white paints we tested, it does contain titanium dioxide. The UK-based production process emphasises use of local, renewable ingredients, and its paint is accredited as vegan, though we didn't get an answer from the company about who certified it.
The paint's odour is a little strange and floral but not unpleasant. Consistency is quite light, like cream, which means there's some splatter and running if you don't take care when applying it. Brushes wash out easily. On untreated wood, the Nutshell paint had a good colour but was a touch thin, and it covered our painted surface acceptably.
The Nutshell proved to be one of least tough paints we tested, with powdery flaking in our abrasion test of 40 scrapes with a paint scraper and faded significantly after being rubbed 20 times with a damp sponge.
Two coats of the Nutshell Super Eco Emulsion with an abrasion test on the right and a water test on the left
Super Eco Emulsion painted on top of a dark red colour
But perhaps all that marketing speak is worthwhile -- Nutshell has been named as a finalist in the 2008 Carbon Positive Awards for offering its customers low-carbon products. Paint packaging is all recyclable (tin or glass, rather than the plastic) and the paints themselves are shipped in cardboard boxes with shredded recycled paper for protection. Leftover paint is even fully compostable, and at £30 for five litres, or £17 for 2.5 litres, the value is good.
Nutshell's paint is ethically sound and a sound choice for vegans, but the reality is that it's a far cry from the toughest eco paint on the market. We would have liked to see containers made from recycled materials, and for more specific information on accreditation, too.
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
