Monday, April 28, 2008

Bringing out the green in all of us

We’ve all heard Kermit the Frog sing, “It's not easy bein' green”, and this rings true for many of us, but it can be good on your wallet. Being green can mean many things, but mostly putting forth a conscious effort to change how you behave in your patterns of recycling, reusing, purchasing and exploring which companies you do business with. So how do we nudge society to create the necessary awareness for change so our resources will last as long as we do?

The answer seems easy. It starts with a single unit, a single individual. Whether it’s recycling a battery, purchasing an energy and water saving washer or a creating a green building, one person initiates the thought and behavior that creates the change. Such efforts on the part of Columbus residents have turned our old pop bottles into benches and picnic tables at the Barnett Recreation Center. Knowing that our recycling efforts are creating renewable products that we can see and touch is indeed inspiring. But don’t get too inspired. While reading The Columbus Dispatch this Sunday, I noted that Columbus is among the worst in the nation at recycling. Our residents recycle 5% of their trash, while a surprising 75% of our waste products are eligible for recycling. I say let's get off the park bench and see what else is in the trash can. While the Baker-Blanquera family was in Seattle this past summer for my brother and sister in law’s wedding, we were impressed by the recycling efforts of the city, where recycling is mandatory. I noted that after one week in Seattle, that nearly all of our trash was recycled and just a small portion was actually being “trashed”. Certainly, this takes a much greater effort on consumer’s parts. Mandatory programs like this certainly move us all in a new direction and make it easier than programs like those in Columbus where residents actually have to pay to recycle. It seems like we just might have this backwards. Are we penalizing the wrong people?

We have all seen advertisements on appliances that save water, save electricity and save us money. It’s hard for any of us to refute the benefits of these when the time comes to replace a worn out clunker that just can’t be fixed. More and more companies are creating options to fit the cultural shift and our consumer choices will continue to grow. With companies jumping on the green bandwagon, many consumers now have to become more concerned about “green sheen” or “greenwashing”, which is a marketing attempt on a company's part to mislead consumers about the environmental benefits of a product or service. If you are concerned about greenwashing, you can look for an appliance with an “energy star” rating, and that will tell you that it has the certification of the government’s Energy Star program, designed to help us all save money and protect the environment. http://www.energystar.gov/

When it comes to other products or services, though, how can consumers read through the claims about the benefits of energy savings and environmental perks and know how to make the right choices? Third party testing agencies are crucial fulcrums in the balancing act between consumers and consumer marketing because they have no real stake in the outcome of the sale. Third party certification is a scientific process where a product, process or service is reviewed by a reputable and unbiased third party to verify that a set of criteria, claims or standards are being met. Organizations such as Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) and Green Seal, which are both non-profit organizations, are doing a lot to dedicate themselves to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services. You can check out their websites for more information on program certifications. http://www.greenguard.org/ and http://www.greenseal.org/

While there are third party certification agencies out there for certain types of products and services, as a consumer, you can also look to agencies like Consumer Reports. They have expanded their website to contain a green section. http://www.consumerreports.org/ This agency compiles both test data and consumer opinions and satisfaction information, so, technically, it does not pass the unbiased test. In 2005, Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, launched a group called Greener Choices to create better choices for a greener planet. Their website is loaded with helpful information to assist you in making green choices, recycling old household products and being more informed on industry related information. http://www.greenerchoices.org/

Even buildings themselves can now be certified as green. The U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit community, provides a certification program to ensure buildings are healthier, more comfortable, safer, and more durable. They have a certification process called LEED, which ensures that homes are green buildings. http://www.usgbc.org/

Last Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch had several articles on the subject. For greater learning, you can check them out.
Green City? http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2008/04/20/greencity_20.ART_ART_04-20-08_G1_5J9UU2H.html?sid=101
Trucking you’re your trash has its price http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/20/TRASH_COSTS.ART_ART_04-20-08_B1_F09VR93.html?sid=101
Going green will allow you to save extra green http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2008/04/20/how_green.ART_ART_04-20-08_H2_0D9UTI5.html?sid=101
City’s green efforts have a way to go http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/20/greencity_6.ART0_ART_04-20-08_A1_9T9VR0R.html?sid=101

If you find that you want to learn more about being green, you can wait for others to initiate programs that will cause you to change (such as Upper Arlington's trash program which now charges for each bag of trash you leave at the curb). Or, you can take the initiative for your own learning, by reading some of the links in this newsletter and then taking some steps to modify even a few of your own behaviors. Remember, it starts with one.

Mother Earth Approves Decor

It's spring and mother earth is turning green. I love this time of year and the rebirth it brings. Birds are singing, neighbors are out of hibernation working in their yards and everyone just seems a little bit happier. There is something about the color green that is representative of good things; the cool touch of damp grass on your skin, the secure feeling of knowing you have greenbacks in your wallet, and the wonderfulness of doing your part to help keep the world green. But with all the talk about being green, short of the obvious things like recycling, it’s hard to really know what being green really means. This blog, helps you understand what people are talking about when they talk about going green, gives insight into local green news as well as information on green decorating.

Green is the new black in decorating. Perhaps you won’t put green on every wall, window and sofa, but chances are you may want to consider green in many aspects of your decorating choices. Here are some points that differentiate green decorating choices from ordinary ones:



  • Consumes Less Energy and Water

  • Creates Healthier Spaces

  • Conserves and Preserves Natural Resources

  • Improves Indoor Air Quality

  • Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • Promotes Social Responsibility

So, if you find yourself moving towards green purchases, you may wonder what questions are good to ask of a company that provides a product or service. You may want to try some of these recommended by the Trade Only Design Library, a resource for designers:



  • What is the product made of?

  • Where do the materials come from?

  • Does the product have a low VOC rating?

  • Are there finishes on the product and what type? (low VOC or water-based)

  • Do the products contain recycled materials?

  • Where are the products manufactured?

  • What effort has the company made to go green (changes in process)?

  • Is there an inherent benefit to the environment to use this product?

  • Has the company been third party tested or certified?

  • Is the company part of any environmental organizations?

  • What has the company done to reduce the environmental footprint of the organization?

Decorating responsibly means considering new choices. We use fabric in furniture, window treatments, bedding, and accessories. Many forward thinking companies are changing their processes to create more earth friendly fabrics. This week, I met with one of my fabric vendors who shared exciting new earth friendly fabric samples with me. I’m proud to say that this is a trend I am seeing with many of my fabric vendors along with information about what qualifies them as such.

Some decorating products contain recycled products. Others are considered a renewable product. How wonderful when we find a two-for-one. FLOR, is a supplier that produces a tiled carpet product with your choice of nylon, hemp or wool on the face, and which has a composite backing of recycled products. It has the lowest VOC (volatile organic compound) or new carpet smell in the industry. And, FLOR loves to work with customers to recycle used FLOR products (making it renewable) in the manufacture of new FLOR products.

When buying paints for your home, consider buying ones with low VOCs, or no VOCs. This means fewer fumes for you and your family. Two of my favorite suppliers are on the list for both categories and can be found in several locations locally. Sherwin Williams http://www.sherwin-williams.com/ offers a line of zero VOCs in their new Harmony line. Benjamin Moore http://www.benjaminmoore.com/ also has a zero VOC line called Pristine ECOSpec and a low VOC line called Benjamin Moore Aura. You can check out http://www.earthyeasy.com/ for more information on VOCs, clean-up and the like. Of course, you can contact me if you need assistance in selecting the right color! Good luck going green, and enjoy the outcome no matter what product you choose.