Thanks Ruth! It’s true that oil-based paints are much more common in Malawi relative to water-based paints (aka latex or emulsion) compared to more industrialised countries. Our best guess is that 60% of decorative paints sold are oil-based in Malawi. And yes, so far the manufacturers we’ve been speaking to are planning on replacing the lead pigments in their oil-based paints. As far as I know, it’s also possible to make water-based paints without complicated/expensive equipment. Some reasons we’ve heard for why oil-based paints are popular are they’re easier to clean, cheaper, longer-lasting, and people having aesthetic preferences for the gloss.
Water-based paint is much less likely to contain lead so it would probably be good if it was used more, but I think it would be harder to change the buying habits of large numbers of people than for manufacturers to replace lead ingredients.
Thanks Ruth! It’s true that oil-based paints are much more common in Malawi relative to water-based paints (aka latex or emulsion) compared to more industrialised countries. Our best guess is that 60% of decorative paints sold are oil-based in Malawi. And yes, so far the manufacturers we’ve been speaking to are planning on replacing the lead pigments in their oil-based paints. As far as I know, it’s also possible to make water-based paints without complicated/expensive equipment. Some reasons we’ve heard for why oil-based paints are popular are they’re easier to clean, cheaper, longer-lasting, and people having aesthetic preferences for the gloss.
Water-based paint is much less likely to contain lead so it would probably be good if it was used more, but I think it would be harder to change the buying habits of large numbers of people than for manufacturers to replace lead ingredients.