Resources for Green Living in the Chesapeake Bay Area

As the green building movement picks up momentum, it becomes essential to know what makes green building products green, so that you are not buying products that say they are green when they are not. By choosing materials and products that truly meet the best sustainability standards available, you reassure yourself that what you are getting is truly friendly to the environment and to you.
kitchen countertops

What makes a product truly "green"?
The homeowner ought to focus on three major areas: source, manufacture and maintenance. When thinking of the source material, you should ask "Is the material rapidly renewable, like wheat, bamboo, and eucalyptus? Does the product meet the highest standards for raw material harvesting, such as FSC certified wood? Is the product using post-consumer recycled content? Does the material use high-energy materials, like granite?" In all cases, you want to emphasize recycled content, renewable content and low-energy input as much as possible. By asking the right questions about the material make-up of the product, you are often able to separate real green products from "green washed" products.

Second, you need to ask, "How is it made?" By knowing what adhesives, coatings and solvents have been used in the manufacture of the product, you can determine whether or not this product is likely to contaminate your indoor air with irritants or potentially carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals are found in many products, including paints, adhesives, cabinets and carpets. By using the greenest products available, you can avoid these contaminants and help to maintain a healthy indoor environment.

Third, you need to know "How durable is the material and what happens when it is time to replace it?" By knowing that the material is durable, long lasting and that it can be easily refinished or recycled, you are casting an eye toward the life cycle of the product. Those products that can be recycled or easily renewed reduce our need for new or virgin materials and most often reduce your lifetime cost of ownership. You also reduce the overall energy input needed to produce materials for our homes, reducing the burden on the environment.

By asking these simple questions, you provide yourself with a basis for comparing materials and making informed choices. To that end, we have provided a chart describing countertops and the various pros and cons associated with different materials. Our hope is that it helps enable you to practice environmental stewardship while promoting your and your family's health.