Up Island Paint has introduced Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey wood finishes, an environmentally safe alternative to traditional polyurethane, available in floor and furniture formulations. Co-owner Rachel Baumrin calls the product nontoxic and safe for family and pets.

In development since 2001 and in collaboration with the University of Vermont, Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey gets its name and performance from whey protein, a renewable resource rescued from the waste stream that improves building air quality without compromising quality. It offers twice the cured hardness and greater per-gallon square footage coverage of typical water-based finishes. It is the only wood finish named to the Top-10 Green Building Product List by Environmental Building News and its specification guide GreenSpec.®

Up Island Paint is located at 505 State Road in West Tisbury, and open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.