Let's Make Our Own Non-Toxic Paint, Seven Gen Student Says

Special to Emmaus Patch by Hannah Ketner

Picture a paint can that was used at the side of the road. The next day it’s taken to the trash center. Then you see a poor hungry seagull eating the paint you just had. That same seagull comes so close to dying. Just so close. Now picture that seagull dying by the second. Just dying. Out of our selfish decisions and choices that we just made. I think there should only be natural paint instead of toxic paint. 

Animals in the world usually will go to a trash pickup to find food. Some may eat the leftover paint because they think it’s good for them, but it can kill them and get them really sick. When they digest the paint that’s when they start to get sick and die. Also when they are near paint that’s toxic that’s another way to get sick because they breathe it in their lungs which can make them sick.

People all around the world are inhaling toxic paint. At a point if they inhale too much toxic paint they can get sick because in some paints they have metals. And sometimes people can die from paints. People around the world are getting cancer because people have wells and when they dump toxic paint in their grass the paint goes into the well. Then you drink it because it goes in your well and the well doesn’t clean the water so you drink toxic water and you can get cancer. Some people get lucky that they didn’t get sick from the paint or die from the toxic paint. But you should create your own paint.

There are other options instead of using toxic paint. Use earth natural pigments or make your own paint that is natural and won't use a lot of materials. Also, mix together 15 pounds of salt or 5 pounds of dry calcium chloride and 5 gallons of water to make a mixture of whitewash.

I think there should only be natural paint instead of toxic paint in the world. Animals can die if they eat or drink the paint, and people can get sick by inhaling the paint. Also paint is in their water. So how about today you dispose of that old paint in the garage and make natural paint.

Hannah Ketner, of Center Valley, is a currently a 4th grade student at Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus. Ketner's class has been studying household hazardous waste and the students wrote opinion articles on the topic.