What constitutes Green Buliding Materials?

Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable products. Green materials are environmentally responsible because their impacts on the environment are considered in relation to the life of the product.  Depending upon project-specific goals, an assessment of green materials may involve an evaluation of one or more of the criteria listed below:

Material selection criteria:

• Resource Efficiency
• Indoor Air Quality
• Water Conservation
• Affordability
  
  

Resource Efficiency can be accomplished by utilizing materials that are:

• Recycled Content: products with identifiable recycled content including postindustrial & postcomsumer
• Natural, plentiful, or renewable: materials harvested from sustainably managed sources, and which preferably have an independednt certification (ie:certified wood) from an independedn third party.
• Resource efficient manufacturing process: products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reduced energy consumption, minimized waste, and reduced greenhouse gases.
• Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found locally or regionally, which save energy and resources in transpoting items to the building site.
• Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving material from disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.
• Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can easlity be dismablted and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.
• Recycled or reusable product pakaging: Products enclosed in recycled contect or recyclable packaging.
• Durable: Materials that are longer lasting compared with conventional products.    

Indoor Air Quality is enhanced by utilizing materials that are:

• Low or non-toxic: Materials that emit few or no carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, or irritants as demonstrated by the manufacturer through appropriate testing.
• Minimal chemical emmisions: Products that have minimal emmisions of Volitile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and products that  maximize resource and energy efficiency while reducing chemical emmisions.
• Low VOC assembly: Materials installed with with minimal VOC-producing compounds, or no VOC mechanical attachment methods and minimal hazards.
• Moisture Resistant: Products and systems that resist moisture or inhibit the growth of biological contaminants in buildings.
• Healthfully Maintained: Materials, components, and systems that require only somple, non-toxic, or low-VOC methods of cleaning.
• Systems or equipment: Products that promote healthy indoor air quality by indentifying indoor air pollutants or enhancing air quality. 

            Energy efficiency is accomplished by choosing systems that reduce consumption.

            Water Conservation    can be accomplished by utizing materials and systems that reduce water consumption in buildings     
             and in landscaped areas.

              Affordibility  takes into account the  life-cycle costs of building materials as compared to conventional materials.