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I know that the environmental impact of out hobby isn't high on the calendar, but I would at least like to try to avoid dumping plastic micro beads down the drain because I wanted some "texture" on my models. .
Does any one know what paints contain microbeads ? Do all GW texture paints contain them or are some also sand/silt based, and what are the paints by other brands who contain them ?

Personally, I can't stand the texture paints from GW and just use pumice gels, of different coarseness, to which i add whatever colour I want the basecoat to be.
In the end, I have a much wider degree of shades and textures on bases (which allows me to avoid too much uniformity while still keeping them all close enough to work together) and it's VASTLY cheaper.


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Oh! and, yeah, all of the GW texture paints contain microbeads.

I would suggest you could only find out by emailing GW direct.

Some do: it says so in the description. Other paints in the range include "grit". Others do not mention it. I know of no way to tell whether this means they're not mentioned, or whether they're not present.

Presumably you'd also have to ask the same question of other paint suppliers.

Lastly, I find that I pour very little paint down the drain. It goes on the model, or on my palette. I suppose some will go down the drain from rinsing my brush, but at risk of sounding anti environmental, the quantity must be so little that it doesn't greatly concern me.

There are different types of microbeads... are you certain the ones used in GW paints are small enough to actually be an environmental problem (ie go through water filters)?

GW should have COSHH assessment available for all the chemicals they sell.

Use a wet palette, when it dries out bin it, and pour your brush cleaning water through a paper coffee filter when you dispose of it.
(I started doing this because my cats tendency to bat minis around when Im not looking meant sometimes I poured a vital head or backpack down the sink that had gotten into the water cup - but equally I worry about sand or other non-solubles gunking up my drains, I also strip a lot of 2nd hand minis.)