More than 35 million paint brushes are discarded into toxic landfills every year, in the UK alone. This includes over 24 tonnes of Polypropylene, which with no additives is non-biodegradable, toxic to the environment whilst eroding and can take up to 450 years to degrade (dependent on landfill conditions). Whilst Polypropylene has a number of good uses, its key strengths of durability and resistance to fatigue are its enemy when it comes to biodegrading or recycling.

As the importance of sustainability increases, and landfills are no longer a long-term option for waste disposal we need to look at reducing the amount of waste we produce. The most eco-friendly solution would be to reuse products for their life span, research shows that not all brushes are kept. Keen to address this issue Harris brushes (www.harrisbrushes.com) have developed Down to earth.

The paintbrush and roller handles are manufactured from cornstarch, which is quite simply starch derived from corn. Corn is a natural, renewable and sustainable raw material that addresses the amount of hazardous substances created or caused during the production process. In normal landfill conditions the handles will biodegrade over a significantly shorter period than Polypropylene; this leads to a reduction in landfill mass.

The paintbrush head is made from a mix of high performance synthetic filaments and natural bristles, formulated to be biodegradable without comprising the high quality and smooth finish. The roller tray is manufactured from 100% recycled plastic and the roller sleeve is produced using recycled soft drinks bottles. All of the packaging used in the range is produced from recycled or biodegradable materials and is printed using environmentally friendly print processes and inks.

Down to earth is available in B&Q (within the UK) or your local DIY retailer. To find out more about the range visit www.harrisbrushes.com/downtoearth or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Down-to-earth-LG-Harris/285583996376?ref=nf