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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GREEN (part 3)
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| BIG-BOX
GREEN |
In
2004, Home Depot introduced its own brand of environmentally
responsible products, called Eco Options, which
improve air quality, energy and water efficiency,
reduce toxicity and waste, and are made from recycled
materials (homedepot.ca/ecooptions).
Suppliers must provide documentation that verifies
the product meets Home Depot’s criteria. The
program covers about 1,200 products, with another
800 planned for 2008. “We don’t really
feel that education is a necessity—the public
does this on its own—so our role is to point
out the [green] products and make it easy to act,”
says Nick Cowling, senior manager of communications
for Home Depot Canada.
Last year, Home Depot sold more compact fluorescent
light bulbs than incandescent bulbs, and products
such as programmable thermostats, low-volume toilets
and efficient furnaces have all become more popular
over the past two years.
In 2006, the Clean Air Foundation, a not-for-profit
organization dedicated to reducing emissions and
promoting indoor air quality, nominated Home Depot
for a gold award based on its Eco Options line,
as well as programs such as the Mow Down Pollution
incentive. The latter project asked customers to
replace old gas lawn mowers with more efficient,
less polluting machines; to date, more than 10,000
mowers have been retired, dropping greenhouse-gas
emissions by more than 200 tonnes in 2005.
Other retailers, such as Rona, Canadian Tire and
Home Hardware, have also stepped up in promoting
green products, including the Natura line of household
cleaning products from Home Hardware (homehardware.ca).
Canadian Tire has introduced a special website (canadiantirepower.ca)
promoting alternative energy, on which you can learn
about off-grid systems, including solar panels and
wind generators. The site helps you design your
own off-grid system and offers resources for finding
products.
Similarly, Rona provides detailed information on
ecologically minded products on its website (rona.ca),
including green roofs, efficient furnaces and water
treatment. You can browse by room—kitchen,
office, bathroom, laundry room—for products
and ways to make your home more green. |
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Breathe
Freely
Besides energy efficiency, renovating with a green thumb and
hammer means thinking about indoor air quality. “You’re
breathing in toxins from paint, formaldehyde off-gassing from
engineered wood products, volatile organic compounds from oil
paint. You need to free your house from these toxins,”
says Crawford.
Even five years ago, it was hard to find products with low to
no VOC content, but today you’ll find them in every hardware
store—without a premium price tag. “When you’re
buying paint, check the VOC content on the side of the can,”
says Crawford. “The same is true of engineered wood for
cabinets and counters. Look for products with no formaldehyde,
and seal the unfinished sides—especially underneath countertops—with
a water-based sealer. Or, better yet, use solid wood.”
Tinted paint will have some VOC content, so look for EcoLogo
paints such as Sico, ICI and Para, which perform well and cost
about the same.
Indoor air quality extends to flooring. “Although carpet
is greener than it used to be, it still collects dust and debris,
so it’s best to have hard-surfaced floors,” says
Crawford. The obvious choices are prefinished hardwood flooring
or ceramic tiles. Hard floors are easy to clean and last longer
than carpeting, so you may pay more up front, but you’re
left with a longer-lasting surface. “Stay away from engineered
products, and if you’re laying down ceramic tiles, use
a low-toxin grout.”
Crawford also suggests using solid wood for trim and moulding—preferably
certified lumber that is harvested from a sustainable forest.
Various labels exist, such as lumber certified by the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC), which costs slightly more than other
lumber.
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1.
Energy-saving products | 2.
Retrofitting your home
3. Improving Indoor Air Quality
| 4. Conserving Water |
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