Transcript Slide 1

Know how. Know now.
Purchasing Green
What Does it Mean?
University of
Nebraska Lincoln
Extension
Lorene Bartos
Shirley Niemeyer
Carroll Welte
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Why Green and Sustainable?
 U.S., with 5% of world’s population, uses
about 26% of world’s energy
 Buildings use about 1/3 of the energy
consumed in U.S. and 2/3rds of all electricity
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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Why Green & Sustainable?
Homes account for. . .
 About 21% of electrical energy
consumption
 About one-fifth of greenhouse
gas missions from burning
fossils fuels
 21% of the carbon dioxide
emissions
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Why Green & Sustainable?
 Growth in CO2 emissions from
housing is about 32.7% of total
increase in U.S. energy-related
CO2 emissions since 1990.
 Improving energy efficiency of
homes, practices, & products can
 save money
 conserve resources
 avoid more greenhouse gas
emissions (DOE; www.climatevision.gov, July 2005).
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What Does “Green” &
“Sustainable” Mean?
 No standardized definition of “green” - it is not
regulated.
 Here “green” refers to . . .
Adopting environmental management practices
& products to minimize damaging impact on
the environment from resource depletion &
pollution (Tzschentke, Kirk, & Lynch, 2008).
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“Sustainability” includes….
 Ensuring our actions & decisions today do
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not hinder the opportunities of future
generations
Looking at how we get the resources we use
Using only what is needed in a way to get the
most from them
Eliminating idea of waste
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“Sustainability” includes….
Using natural resources
very efficiently without
destroying the ecological
balance of an area, region,
or world & depleting or
wasting natural resources
Source: http://doerr.org/html/Sustain.html
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Shades of Green
 Almost everything we buy, use, or have
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in our homes has some environmental
impact.
Few things we use are totally “green.”
Example
Bamboo Flooring
Is it greener?
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5 Principles of Greener

Energy Efficiency – Reduce amount of energy
required to operate home
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Resource Efficiency - Reduce resources used in
building, modifying, & maintaining the home
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Water Conservation – Maximize efficient use of
water in & around the home
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Indoor Environmental Quality - Create a healthier
indoor environment for occupants
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Site & Community Impact - Consider the impact of
the materials & the home on the land & immediate
community, global community, & environment
Permission granted for use by Minnesota GreenStar® www.mngreenstar.org/
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Greenwashing is...
Excessive claims for the process or product beyond
what the environmental benefits really are.
These may include:
 Misleading consumers about environmental
practices of a company or environmental benefits of
products or services. Vague wording & claims.
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Implementing minimal actions & claiming strong
environmental stewardship. Irrelevant claims.
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Lacking information or proof of claims or third party
independent certification.
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Buying “Green” &
Thinking Sustainability
Consider these questions in
making decisions about products
& materials.
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Is item a need or a want?
Is item durable, repairable, & if
maintained, will it last?
Are raw materials from local or
regional resources?
How will its use or disposal impact the
environment? Can it be reused or
recycled?
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 What do Material Safety Data Sheets
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& labels
say about safety or hazards?
Are certification labels present? Who
certifies & based on what criteria?
Will item perform without electricity?
Consider mechanical hand–operated products.
 Could item be purchased with a friend or
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neighbor for shared use?
Is item being used in an efficient
way & according to directions?
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Your thoughts?
 How can consumers have less impact
on the environment & use fewer natural
resources?
 How can consumers
make greener choices?
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Challenges to . . .
Selecting products & materials that are
greener or have less environmental impact:
 Finding businesses that offer products with
less environmental impact
 Time to research product or process
 Having limited knowledge or resources to
research a practice or item
 Initial higher costs for some items
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LOTS OF ECO-LABELS!
European Union
Eco-Label
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Labels & Specification Sheets
Address these challenges by. . .
 Reading labels
 Looking for third party
environmental certification
 Asking for the product
specification sheet or more
information
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Household Products Database
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/faq.htm
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MSDS – Materials Safety Data Sheet
http://hazard.com/msds/
Many products such as solvents,
cleaners, maintenance products,
etc. have MSDS sheets providing
information on ingredients, use,
potential hazards, storage,
emergencies, etc.
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Ask for the MSDS sheet when
you buy a product
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Search the web for on-line
product MSDS sheets
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Government Certification
Program Examples
EPA WaterSense
FTC EnergyGuide
EPA/DOE ENERGY
STAR®
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Water Sense
U.S. EPA voluntary certification program
High performing water–efficient products
independently tested & certified to meet
EPA standards.
Product or service is 20% more efficient
Duel flush toilet
Waterless urinal
Low-flow devices
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EnergyGuide Labels
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Federal Trade Commission’s Appliance
Labeling Rule requires EnergyGuide labels,
www.ftc.gov/engeryguide, on clothes
washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, room
air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, boilers,
central air conditioners, and heat pumps
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Appliances must meet the US Department of Energy
(DOE) Appliance Standards Program
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Manufacturers must use standard testing procedures
to prove the product’s energy use and efficiency
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EnergyGuide Labels
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Label provides a scale to compare
energy usage of similar models &
approximate annual operating costs
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Shows the highest & lowest energy
consumption or efficiency estimates of similar
appliance models based on DOE test
procedures & where the model falls on the scale
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Use guide to compare energy use & cost of
operating for similar sized models with similar
functions
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ENERGYSTAR®
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ENERGY STAR label means product meets
or exceeds the increased energy efficiency
guidelines set by U.S. EPA & U.S. DOE
for that product line.
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Program includes more than 40 home product
categories including . . .
 Heating & cooling equipment
 Windows
 Roof products
 Home electronics/appliances
 Lighting/fixtures
 Insulation and more.
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Organization Certification
Program Examples
NFRC for windows
Green Seal
Carpet & Rug Institute
Art & Creative Materials
Institute
Sustainable Forest Initiative
Forest Stewardship Council
GREENGAURD
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National Fenestration Rating
Council (NFRC) label - Windows
www.nfrc.org Actual ratings at
http://www.nfrc.org/getratings.aspx
 Compare energy ratings
─ U-value: a lower U-value = window
insulates better
─ Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC)
─ Visible light transmittance
 ENERGY STAR windows must
be NFRC rated.
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Windows NFRC label
NFRC label - voluntary program
 Lower U-value means better
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insulated. Select .32 or below if
possible
Select air leakage rating of about
0.3 cubic ft/min. or less
Select low-e (low emissivity) &
selective coatings for climate
Compare SHGC – Solar Heat Gain
Coefficient for climate &
orientation (.30 to .60)
Label example
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Green Seal
 Independent non-profit
organization, issues environmental
seals of approval for consumer
products to identify those products
that are less harmful to the
environment than others in the
same category.
www.greenseal.org
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Green Seal
Product Environmental Impact Evaluation
done to identify product characteristic
& points in manufacturing process
that could cause significant
environmental harm
Standard addresses toxic chemical pollution,
energy consumption, depletion & pollution of
water resources, harm to wildlife and natural
areas, natural resource waste, & global warming
Products only certified after testing & evaluation,
including on-site plant visits.
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Carpet & Rug Institute Green
Label & Green Label Plus
Carpet & Adhesive Testing
 Green Label - 7 chemicals
 Green Label Plus Carpet
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13 chemicals measured:
Acetaldehyde
Benzene
Caprolactam
2-Ethylhexanoic Acid
Formaldehyde
1-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidinone
www.carpet-rug.org/
Naphthalene
Nonanal
Octanal
4-Phenylcyclohexene
Styrene
Toluene
Vinyl Acetate
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Art & Creative Materials
Institute - ACMI
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Non-profit association of art & craft
manufacturers http://www.acminet.org
All children's materials certified by ACMI
are non-toxic & cannot bear health
warning labels
Identifies art materials that are safe &
certified in a toxicological evaluation by a
medical expert to contain no materials in
quantities to be toxic or injurious to
humans, including children, or to cause
acute or chronic health problems
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Sustainable Forest
Initiative - SFI
 Independent org. focused on
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supporting responsible forestry
Certification standard is based on principles
to promote sustainable forest mgt.
SFI certified content labels show some/all of
product’s fiber comes from certified forests
Certified fiber sourcing labels show product
contains fiber from responsible sources & was
obtained in accordance with SFI Standards
www.sfiprogram.org
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Forest Stewardship Council
(FCS) www.fscus.org
 FCS is an independent not-for-profit
organization promoting environmentally
responsible management of world’s forests
 Voluntary label indicates item comes from
FSC certified forests, recycled or other
controlled materials
 For certification, FSC defines 10 principles
that describe how forests have to be
managed
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GREENGUARD
Environmental Institute
GREENGUARD 3rd Party Certification Standards
for:
 Low-chemical Emission Products
 Indoor Air Quality
 Schools
 Building Construction Microbial Resistance Listing
Program
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Established performance based standards to define
goods with low chemical & particle emissions for
use indoors
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GREENGUARD
Focus on IAQ & building
construction for preventing mold
Primarily 3rd Party Certification
System for low-emitting …
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Interior building materials
Furniture, finishing systems
Personal care products
Interior furnishings
Cleaning & maintenance products
Electronic equipment
www.greenguard.org
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Testing & Certification &
Commercial Labeling Programs
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Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool –
EPEAT
Scientific Certification System – SCS
Indoor Air Quality Program
SCS Indoor Advantage Gold
SCS Certified Recycled
Resilient Flooring Institutes FloorScore Program
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Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
www.epeat.net - “search product registry”
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Focuses on computers, monitors
Expanding to printers/copiers, TVs etc.
Product must meet 23 environmental performance
criteria or attributes
Compared to traditional, EPEAT-registered products
are to
• Have reduced levels of lead, cadmium, & mercury
• Be more energy efficient
• Be easier to upgrade & recycle
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Scientific Certification
System
 SCS provides 3rd- party certification, auditing
& testing services, & standards
 Where standards require lab testing, SCS
works with independent labs
 SCS offers standards-based product
certification for green building products
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Scientific Certification
System
 Manufacturers can earn certification for one
aspect of a product’s environmental impact
such as recycled content, biodegradable
products, no added formaldehyde, indoor air
quality AND/OR for multiple environmental
performance attributes
 The certified product database is available at
their website
www.scscertified.com/ecoproducts/products
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SCS Indoor Air Quality
Offers Indoor Advantage &
Indoor Advantage Gold
www.scscertified.com/sustainablechoice/
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Focuses on furniture, paints and coatings, sealants &
adhesives, wall coverings, insulation, furnishings &
other interior products
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Certification for Gold includes documentation review,
on-site audit of manufacturing plant, laboratory
testing of product test samples, & compliance with
indoor air quality emissions standards
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SCS Certified Recycled
 Material content certification
assessment services for products made from
recycled or biodegradable materials.
 Recycled content products are made from
materials that would otherwise have been
discarded.
 Assessment consists of a desk audit, an on-site
SCS audit & in some cases, lab testing.
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Floorscore
Resilient Floor Covering Institute’s
FloorScore® Testing & Certification
for compliance with IAQ emissions for
– Hard surface & resilient flooring
– Flooring adhesives
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are
evaluated
– FloorScore® certifies products that do not
exceed one-half of the allowable
concentration limits
www.scscertified.com/gbcfloorscore.php
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LEED - Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Designs
Green building rating system
 Nationally accepted benchmark for the
design, construction & operation of high
performance green buildings
 Logo used in newly constructed homes or
major rehab projects that are being
designed & built to be certified as meeting
the criteria
http://www.usgbc.org/
LEED & related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building
Council & is used by permission.
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Take Home Message
Developing a Greener Lifestyle is Essential
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Sustainable Practices are (in)valuable
Environmental & Social Responsibility are
increasingly important
Everyone can become greener
 Start small & simple!
 Being greener can also
save your green!
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Purchasing Green
What Does it Really Mean?