INTERIOR LATEX PAINT
EPA recommends the following private sector standards/ecolabels be used when purchasing interior latex paint or any services that involve the use of interior latex paint. All federal ecolabel program(s) and statutory requirement(s) that apply to this product category are also listed below.
If you are a U.S. federal government employee who would like free access to one of the private sector standards or ecolabels recommended by EPA, please email the EPP Program (epp@epa.gov).
Before buying new, browse GSAXcess to find surplus and/or lightly used items.
Recommended Private Sector Standards/Ecolabels
1st Choice Private Sector Standards/Ecolabels:
Multi-attribute with confirmed accredited or conforming certification body:
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard1
Learn how this standard/ecolabel includes criteria to address PFAS.
Green Seal™ 11 Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains, and Sealers1 *
Learn how this standard/ecolabel includes criteria to address PFAS.
Please note that these recommendations do not currently consider the standards'/ecolabels'/ certifications' effectiveness in addressing the potential environmental impacts of material harvesting and/or extraction.
If a product meeting a 1st Choice standard/ecolabel is not available, agencies can use one of these multi-attribute standards/ecolabels**:
Sustainable Materials Rating Technology (SMaRT)1
**These are standards/ecolabels for which EPA has not been able to confirm that an accredited or conforming certification body is available (more information).
If a product meeting one of the standards/ecolabels above is not available, agencies can use one or more of these single-attribute standards/ecolabels to address key hotspots:
Indoor Air Quality/VOC Emissions/Other Leadership Approaches to Chemicals:
Indoor Air Quality/VOC Emissions:
UL 2818 GREENGUARD Certification Program For Chemical Emissions For Building Materials, Finishes And Furnishings1
To address Indoor Air Quality/VOC Emissions, EPA recommends products meet the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, Version 1.2-2017 (the VOC emission testing method for California Specification 01350). EPA has confirmed that these certifications/ecolabels incorporate by reference CDPH v1.2-2017 (or equivalents) as either optional or required criteria. There may be other certifiers/ecolabels that can provide demonstration of conformity to these criteria.
Federal Ecolabel Program
Agencies can use:
Statutory Requirements
Products shall meet these statutory requirements:
When BioPreferred and CPG are both required, the agency shall purchase the item that meets the CPG requirements (per FAR 23.405 Procedures (c) and Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, Section 9002 (b)).
Inclusion in the Recommendations is not an endorsement by EPA of the standards/ecolabels or of any of the products conformant to these standards/ecolabels, but rather a statement that the standard/ecolabel meets either EPA's Framework or is recommended for use by another Federal agency.