*This feature is not sponsored or paid for in any way by Tint or any other invested party
Have you ever stopped to think about whether the stuff you're using for your home reno was cruelty free? Or did you have an inkling that they might not be good for the planet but didn't know if there were any accessible alternatives? Well, at least with paints, now you do.
Meet Tint. A paint range with everything you need and nothing you don’t - all offered at reasonable prices. Their paints are "easy to apply, easy to wash, hardwearing, doesn't smell, and fights mould." They don't charge for stronger colours the way the big brands do and sell direct to consumer via their website. This means you won't be paying for the overhead costs from selling at the big hardware stores. The brand currently carries 71 colours - curated by their specialists for simplicity and to avoid choice paralysis when choosing from their range. However, you can use their Pico colour-matching technology to scan surfaces and create a custom colour.
All of that seems really nice but they offer a key difference which we're totally here for. They claim to be "planet-friendly by design." That means their products are "water-based, odour-free and absolutely devoid from animal cruelty or by-products." Yep, that's right - vegan paint. And they haven't stopped there. They also formulated their paints to have very low levels of air-polluting VOCs that are found in your stock standard paint brands. (More on this later)
We reached out to the Tint team and spoke to a brand representative to learn more about the brand and what's different about their products.
OWNERSHIP
Tint was founded by DJ Dikic and Rocky Liang who also co-founded colour technology business Palette. The brand is not owned by any parent company and is 100% Aussie-owned.
INGREDIENTS & RAW MATERIALS
The main thing that makes Tint different is what's not in their products.
Instead of using animal-derived products, they use natural, plant-based binders like vegetable casein or legumin. They've also formulated Tint paints to be 99% free from volatile organic compounds or VOCs (found in high levels in most paint brands) which are solvents that are released into the air as paint dries. They're not great for both people and the environment, but are especially harmful to people in enclosed spaces. Tint's VOC levels are certified by the Australian Paint Approval Scheme as "very low" (the lowest rating available). And this is not only for their paint bases, their colourants are also low VOC.
To top it all off, their paints are also cruelty-free.
Tint's tools and accessories are made of wood and metal, which last longer and are better quality than the cheaper plastic options in the market. This also means that these tools can be recycled at the end of the product's life.
Their product and safety data sheets are available on their website.
SOURCING & PRODUCTION
Tint works with a group of industry veterans to create their products. Everything is Australian-made - mixed, packed, and shipped from the Tint headquarters in Fitzroy, Melbourne. However, all accessories and tools are made in China
In an effort to reduce waste during the production process, the company tints their products to order. That allows them to avoid wasting old paint that would be sitting on racks for months. If there are any mistints, these cans are donated to local charities. (More on this later)
PACKAGING & RECYCLING OPTIONS
Tint's postage packaging is made from recycled stock and in turn is also recyclable after use. Their tool kits are also wrapped in reusable bags that you can use to keep your tools fresh between breaks or store them properly once you're done painting. They've also moved away from plastic drop sheets to biodegradable ones, and from plastic tape to a fully paper-based adhesive option. Their brushes and rollers are all made of synthetic materials, although that, of course, means plastic. Also, Tint's cans are fresh. They need to be as they have to be coated to hold the paint it contains.
Tint offers an eco-packaging shipping option which means you get your order shipped with even less packaging and would not include the following items: stirring stick, can opener, printed materials, can colour sticker, and any other extras.
Another way that Tint reduces waste is by offering sample stickers instead of sample paint pots which generate a lot of waste in the form of both paint and packaging. Their sample stickers are painted, not printed, so you still get an accurate idea of how colours will look in your home.
Tint itself does not offer a recycling program (yet!), but as Paintback partners, they encourage their customers to use the Paintback program which recycled the raw materials and aluminum from paint cans to be turned into new ones.
We've also learned through their brand representative that Tint is currently working on additional reuse programs, so there's more to look forward to!
*Paintback is an industry-led, independent not-for-profit organisation that works to divert unwanted paint and packaging from ending up in landfill and vital waterways
GIVING BACK & ADVOCACY
Tint supports Kids Under Cover - an organisation that supports vulnerable and disadvantaged youth between the ages of 12 and 25 (and their families) who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. The organisation does this by providing studio accommodation in family backyards as well as scholarships. Tint provides the organisation with their paint to use for the beneficiaries' living accommodations.
Tint also recently held a virtual sausage sizzle to fundraise for Free to Feed, an organisation that advocates for refugees, people seeking asylum, and new migrant in Australia. Through sharing food experiences, the organisation also provides employment opportunities and training for their beneficiaries.
According to Tint's representative, the company plans on continuing with this fundraising format so they could lend a hand to multiple charities yearly, supporting a different one every three or four months.
Tint also runs all of their operations on renewable energy.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY
According to their brand representative, the Tint team is 60% male and 40% female. And although demographic data wasn't made available to us, you can head to their website and social media to check out their diverse team who do double duty as the brand's models.
So whether you're considering a home reno project or a professional who needs paint for their job, we think Tint is a good brand to have a look at. Because being environmentally conscious isn't just for your everyday home life, it's for those occasional projects too!
Head over to their website for paints and painting tools and let us know how you go!
Tint is available in Australia.