A highly sustainable home combines good design with "green" materials and responsible building practices. Often, the initial cost of green materials is higher, but their long term costs (especially when environmental and health issues are included) are much less.

what makes a product green?
A product is considered green if it meets any of the following 4 criteria:

Products made from environmentally friendly materials: The materials used to produce a product, and the origin of those materials is important in determining if the product is green. If the product contains recycled materials instead of using new, raw materials it can be considered a green product. For example, a product containing salvaged, post-consumer or post-industrial recycled materials would qualify (bricks, repurposed wood flooring, framing lumber). Rapid renewables such as bamboo or cork (used in flooring) are environmentally sound as are products made from agricultural waste materials such as straw or agricultural oils. Materials that haven't been heavily processed, such as stone, slate, and some wood, plant and mineral products are considered green because they have consumed little or no energy in manufacture.

Environmentally healthy alternatives to toxic conventional products: While some of these products may be petroleum based or might contain higher VOC (volatile organic compound) levels than would normally be considered green, they are still an improvement over their environmentally hazardous cousins. Examples include alternatives to PVC products that deplete ozone or materials to replace wood preservatives such as creosote, which is carcinogenic.

Products that reduce the environmental impact of building operation: The environmental impact of a building's ongoing operational costs can be significant. This category includes materials that reduce heating or cooling loads (such as SIPs and high performance windows) reduce water or energy use (like super efficient appliances and low-flow toilets) reduce waste (such as recycling or composting systems), reduce maintenance or pollution (like efficiently burning fireplaces) and products that use renewable energy (such as PV systems and solar water heaters.)

Products that create a healthy or safe environment: Green building products that contribute toward a healthy indoor environment by not releasing significant pollutants, such as low VOC paints, adhesives and caulks fit into this category. Also included are products that remove or prevent the introduction or spread of contaminants such as ventilation products or filters and those that improve light quality.

There are a few online directories that specialize in green building products. Some are listed in our Resources section. Visiting these directories is a good place to begin your product research. Final product selection should be based on your personal building goals and your budget.

Practicing responsible construction methods is the third component to building a sustainable home. Follow the construction link to learn more.