Leading UK paint brand Dulux has announced a new partnership with indoor air quality monitor nooku, aimed at demonstrating how paint formulations can significantly influence the air people breathe inside their homes.
The collaboration, announced by Dulux owner AkzoNobel, responds to growing awareness that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. One of the major contributors to this pollution is volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are commonly released from traditional solvent-based paints during application and drying.
Through the partnership, Dulux and nooku will be showcasing the measurable benefits of water-based and low-VOC paints, including Dulux Trade Diamond Matt 99.9% VOC Free Emulsion, Dulux Easycare Kitchen, and Dulux Walls and Ceilings. These products are formulated to reduce VOC emissions while maintaining durability and finish quality.
AkzoNobel has spent years reducing VOCs across its product ranges by replacing solvent-based systems with advanced water-based technologies. Its Quick Dry wood and metal paints, for example, offer the performance of traditional oil-based products while delivering lower VOC content and faster drying times. According to data captured using nooku monitors, indoor air quality returned to normal levels more quickly when water-based trims were used compared to solvent-based alternatives.
The nooku device provides real-time feedback on VOCs, humidity, temperature, CO₂ and other airborne pollutants, translating complex data into easy-to-understand air quality ratings. When used alongside Dulux’s 99.9% VOC-free emulsions, the monitors consistently showed ‘Good’ air quality readings during drying, compared with fluctuating ‘Poor’ or ‘Bad’ levels from standard durable paints.
Dulux says the initiative helps make the invisible effects of decorating visible, supporting healthier homes and aligning with green building standards such as BREEAM, LEED and WELL. The partnership underscores a growing industry shift toward eliminating pollutants at source to protect long-term health without compromising performance.
Peter Howard, Dulux UK&I Sustainability & Regulatory Lead at AkzoNobel, commented: ‘Reducing our environmental impact and improving people’s lives is central to our goals at AkzoNobel. The risks of indoor air quality are less well known compared to outdoor air, but they are equally important to consider, especially as we spend most of our time indoors, whether that’s at our workplace, school, or home.
‘Our partnership with nooku helps to visually show what otherwise is unseen in the air around us when painting and the direct impacts different paint technologies can have in real time. Although the pollution impact of VOCs from paint is very small, it still contributes to indoor air pollution and climate change. The reformulation of our paint ranges to be water-based and 99.9% VOC free exemplifies our ongoing efforts to create innovative solutions that encourage sustainability without compromising quality”
Danny Kane, Co-founder and Director at nooku, commented: ‘Working with Dulux allows us to pair their expertise in colour and sustainable paint with nooku’s focus on indoor air quality, creating a more holistic approach to healthier living spaces. By bringing together Dulux’s sustainable, low-VOC and water-based paints with nooku’s innovative air-quality technology, we’re giving homeowners and professional decorators a way to create spaces that look beautiful and feel better to breathe in.’
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