"Going Green"

Understanding and Topics

1. Sustainable: Sustainable products are those that are natural resources, harvested for a product that will grow back within a 10 year period and can be harvested again and again. Readily available by-products that don’t grow and are not harvested need to be replenishment and available for consumption again and again.

2. Reclaimed: Any product or resource that is originally disposed or headed for a landfill that can be collected and diverted to use as a consumer product is considered reclaimed. Examples: glass from bottles, hardwood from demolished buildings, non-productive orchard trees that are cut down and replaced with productive ones.

3. Recycled: Re-use of a product by re-processign it into the same (but new) product that it was previously, over and over again. This is the common misconception of recycling. To recycle is to make the same use over and over again. The best example is water to ice and then ice back to water and over and over again. Many synthetic carpet products are now being melted down into the original raw nylon liquid and then extruded again into new carpet fiber. This fiber is then made into a new piece of carpet that is the same in all characteristics as the original piece. This process can be performed over and over thus exhibiting true recycling and landfill diverting.

4. Downcycling: Most people think this is recycling. Downcycling is the most prevalent of the previously mentioned processes and is a good alternative to disposal and / or landfill dumping. Landfill use is the most detrimental end result and contributes to destruction of the environment. Downcycling is the process of re-using a product for some other purpose other than it’s originally inteded use. Examples would be tires that are ground up and used as rubber mulch at playgrounds or made into new rubber tiles. The key to the downcycle of a product is preventing that product from going to a landfill. Is the end still dumping or is the product capable of another downcycle or recycle? Another consideration is the energy consumption required by the downcycle process. All these factors must be scaled to determine the better end, less energy or landfill avoidance?

5. Natural Resource Consumption:

• This should be a consideration in any of the categories listed above and is very important to al processes. Energy consumed in manufacturing and the efficiencies companies implement are all very important. Where does the energy come from? Coal or fossil fuel is not desirable. How much carbon is emitted in the generating of that energy?
• Wastewater or water use in general is a natural resource consideration. How much is consumed in manufacturing processes? It is cleaned and / or purified before it is put back? It is desirable to have wastewater treated and put into water systems. Untreated wastewater is detrimental to ecosystem use and sewer dumping of wastewater is not preferred.

6. Resource management: This category mostly applies to hardwood products and is defined by a group called the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). The current environmental impact of irresponsible foresting has resulted in the loss of rainforests and domestic timber forests all over the world. Currently China is experiencing the pirating of exotic hardwoods and clear cutting which destroys large parcels of land and throws entire ecosystems out of balance. The FSC certifies hardwoods from responsible manufactures by providing a chain of custody for every lot of flooring or use of he wood. The chain of custody traces the wood back to the tree, the forest it was cut form, the select cutting only in that forest, and the fact that all workers are paid fair wage for their work. No slave labor, child labor, clear cutting, or destruction of natural resources has taken place; only the selective harvesting of timber to maintain the forest and sustainability of the species of tree has taken place. Any manufacturer who displays the FSC certification needs to show the certification number of the chain of custody for every product, not just one product in their line. This is the consumer’s assurance that the product they are purchasing is responsibility harvested.

7. Energy Stewardship: This has already been covered in the manufacturing processes involving downcycling; however, stewardship of fuel resources and usable energy should be covered once more. Many companies have environmental stewardship programs that cover every aspect of their daily business and atmosphere. Credit is given and usually an environmentally responsible corporate philosophy is very evident in the end product that these companies produce. Members of the United States Green Building Council and the Forestry Stewardship Council support one another and promote overall efforts to protect the environment for years to come. These two groups have already set the standard by far and are a good indicator of environmental responsibility.

8. Biodegradable: When a product can be disposed of and in a fixed amount of time, usually one year, decompose into elemental components or “dirt”, it can be considered biodegradable. Earth to Earth fits the Cradle to Cradle concept and signifies “natural” as well as “green” components or products. Anything that contributes to healthy ecosystems fits a win / win situation.