How Lakeland Paints compares in the UK Eco Paint market
The UK Eco Paint market claims "Natural", "Eco", "Organic" and "VOC-free". But very few deliver. See how Lakeland Paints compares.
| Brand | 0.00% VOC |
Organic | Next Day |
MIT-CIT- BIT- FREE? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Paints | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Farrow & Ball | X | X | Y | X |
| Little Greene | X | X | X | X |
| Little Knights | X | X | X | Y |
| Earthborn | X | X | X | X |
| Tikkurila | X | X | Y | X |
| COAT Paints | X | X | X | X |
| Lick Paints | X | X | X | X |
| Verus | X | X | X | Y |
| Bulmer | X | X | Y | X |
| Yes Colours | X | X | Y | X |
| Zhoosh | X | X | X | X |
| Victory | X | X | Y | X |
| P&P Library | X | X | X | X |
| Annie Sloan | X | X | Y | X |
| Frenchic | X | X | X | X |
Y means correct
X means beware = not found on the UK website, or not stated, or not current, or not valid for some items - as of July 14th 2026. *CIT-MIT-BIT is a known allergen.
What these claims mean
- 0.00% VOC
- A genuine total absence of Volatile Organic Compounds, as defined by ASA ruling A17-396612. Many paints labelled "VOC-free" still contain up to 0.1% VOC. That is not zero.
- Organic
- Free of pesticides and herbicides, non-toxic certified, EN 71 toy-safety certified, and free from heavy metals.
- Next Day
- Shipped on a next-working-day service to UK mainland addresses, with a 99% on-time delivery record.
- MIT-CIT-BIT-FREE?
- Free of methylisothiazolinone (MIT), chloromethylisothiazolinone (CIT) and benzisothiazolinone (BIT). These are biocidal preservatives widely used in water-based paints, and known allergens recognised as skin sensitisers and common triggers for contact dermatitis.
The Lakeland Standard. True Zero. No Exceptions.
For over 30 years we have made one simple promise: to make paint with absolutely no solvents and no Volatile Organic Compounds. We do not hide behind loopholes. We set the standard, and we declare every single ingredient on our website.
So what about everyone else?
Below are the "we are special" claims made by other brands in the eco, environmental and healthy paint sector. These are their own words, lifted from their own marketing. If you can spot anything here, or on their websites, that genuinely makes them different, please let us know, because in our opinion it is all just marketing fluff.
We are not talking about planting trees or carbon offset. We are talking about paint, and what makes it different, special and unique. So from an eco standpoint, does a single one of them have a real point of difference from the dozens of mainstream paints already out there? And if not, then is this fluff not simply more greenwashing?
Notice a pattern? Effectively. Virtually. Low. Trace. No added. Every one of them is a way of saying not zero. Lakeland Paint is the only one that does not need a qualifier, because it is genuinely zero VOC, like the air in your home, and we are happy to send the certificates to prove it.