Dwarika Prasade, a professor in the School of Chemical Engineering and Physical Science, Lovely Professional University has addressed the grave issue of increasing cancer risks associated with synthetic paints by developing a 100 per cent natural and eco-friendly paint and primer using mere litchi peel and seeds. Hailing from Dehradun, a substantial litchi producer, Prasade was intrigued by the enormous litchi waste and litchi seeds strewn everywhere especially in Uttarakhand. He thus came up with this unique alternative that is absolutely harmless to the people and the environment.
The process of developing green paint begins with drying the peel and seeds of Litchi chinensis under the sun. The extracts are then powdered and finally processed to obtain inexpensive and sustainable paint. The production of this paint is easy as Litchi is one of the most commonly consumed fruits in every Indian household, making its waste available in abundance. Adding to its demand is the fact that it is predicted to have a 15 to 20 per cent cheaper MRP than the currently available chemical-based paints.
Dwarika Prasade shared: “In today’s time, all the paints are synthetic which contain VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) and lead and can cause serious illnesses like asthma, mesothelioma, cancer and various skin diseases. Also, they are very harmful to the Environment. Not just these, but Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), Lead, etc. present in the synthetic paints affect air quality and increases the formation of smog and the by-products and waste of the synthetic chemical industry are detrimental to our surroundings, leaving an immense carbon footprint. We are currently focusing on the patent and once we receive it, the green paints proposal will be shared with the authorities for usage in commercial purposes.”
