Toxic Deception: EcoWaste Coalition Exposes Hazardous Lead Paints Masquerading as “Safe”

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Quezon City, Philippines — September 9, 2025.

What happens when a toxic poison hides behind a false promise of safety? The!? EcoWaste Coalition has once again sounded the alarm after uncovering another brand of imported spray paint flooding the Philippine market—boldly mislabeled as “lead-free” but in truth, dangerously laced with lead levels thousands of times above the legal limit.

The culprit: Easyman Spray Paint All Purpose Enamel.

Sold for as little as ₱99 in stores across Bulacan and Quezon City, this brightly packaged paint claims to be safe, non-toxic, and “no Pb”—a direct reference to the absence of lead. But scientific analysis tells a chillingly different story.

A Toxic Reality Behind the Label

Using an Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, EcoWaste screened multiple Easyman paint variants. The findings were staggering:

Yellow: over 100,000 ppm of lead

Orange: 84,900 ppm

Green: 65,600 ppm

Signal Red: 1,577 ppm

Blue: 866 ppm

Silver Red: 446 ppm

To put this in perspective, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has set the maximum allowable lead content in paints at 90 ppm under Administrative Order 2013-24. These paints exceeded that by astronomical margins, making them not only unsafe but outright poisonous.

And yet, Easyman’s cans flaunt multilingual instructions declaring the product “non-toxic” and “lead-free.” No manufacturer or distributor information is provided, leaving consumers in the dark about who is responsible for unleashing these toxic goods into Philippine households and communities.

A Betrayal of Consumer Rights

EcoWaste did not mince words, branding the sale and distribution of Easyman paints as “deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable.” Such mislabeling directly violates Republic Act 7394, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, which enshrines the right of consumers to truthful information and protection against unsafe products.

“The importation, distribution and sale of lead-containing Easyman Spray Paints violate DENR A.O. 2013-24 banning lead use in paints,” the group emphasized. “Consumers have the right to be protected against fraudulent claims and unsafe products, as well as the right to be provided with facts needed to make an informed choice.”

A Pattern of Toxic Dumping

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Since 2020, EcoWaste has repeatedly unearthed paint brands marketed as “lead-free” but later exposed as toxic offenders. Among them: Easyman, Korona, Sinag, Standard JR, and Tiger.

Despite the Philippines ratifying the Rotterdam Convention in 2006—an international treaty designed to regulate hazardous chemicals—the illegal importation of toxic paints continues unabated. This loophole allows unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors to profit at the expense of public health, particularly endangering children, whose developing brains are most vulnerable to lead poisoning.

The Hidden Cost of Lead

Lead is not just another chemical—it is a potent neurotoxin. Even small exposures can cause irreversible brain damage, lowered IQ, learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and in severe cases, organ failure. Children are disproportionately at risk, often exposed when they touch or inhale dust from lead-painted surfaces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned: “There is no safe level of lead exposure.”

Toward Global Accountability

Together with the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), EcoWaste is calling for stricter global enforcement. They are lobbying for the inclusion of lead chromates—a common lead pigment—into the Rotterdam Convention’s Annex III, subjecting them to the treaty’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.

This means countries like the Philippines would have the power to reject toxic shipments before they even dock at local ports. Encouragingly, nations such as Cameroon, Morocco, and Switzerland have already nominated lead chromates for inclusion. The Philippines, EcoWaste insists, must follow suit with urgency.

The Fight for a Lead-Free Future

EcoWaste’s relentless investigations serve as both a warning and a call to action. Unless authorities tighten enforcement at customs and crack down on illicit distributors, hazardous paints will continue to slip through the cracks—masquerading as safe, affordable products, while poisoning Filipino homes, schools, and workplaces.

The discovery of Easyman Spray Paint is more than a scandal. It is a stark reminder that when public health is at stake, complacency is complicity.

Will we allow toxic lies to repaint our nation—or will we demand accountability, enforcement, and a truly lead-free future?

The answer, quite literally, could shape the health of generations.

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