Sandra Lester from Affecting Change presents a project manager's perspective on identifying evaluating and selecting sustainable materials. Presented to the Toronto CSBA Course
14. 1 Green Seal GS 11
Standard
2 CA Section 01350
3 The South Coast
Air Quality Standard
15. 1 The new ANSI/BIFMA
Business and Institutional
Furniture Sustainability
Standard
2 Mandates design for
remanufacturing, recycling
and durability
3 Encourages buy-back/take
back/lease options
16. We like third party certifiers
that have no direct link
to manufacturers
17.
18. We prefer certifiers that
measure and examine
all aspects of a
product, not just
one attribute
19. FSC supports the and helps people lead better lives.
Choose FSC certified products and
make a difference.
26. Some healthcare
providers have been
successful in removing
PVC materials from
hospital environments –
specifiers are demanding
safe alternatives
27. Accept only materials
that meet our /your
requirements and ask
suppliers to exchange
old product for new when
updating the library.
- Dieter Rams, designer Braun
28.
29.
30.
31.
32. “Seek constant improvement by sharing
of knowledge. Encourage direct and
open communication between
colleagues, patrons, manufacturers, and
users to link long term sustainable
considerations with ethical
responsibility, and re-establish the
integral relationship between natural
processes and human activity.”
49. The Natural Step
Certification Criteria
Categories:
a Materials;
b Material Reutilization/Design for
Environment; Energy;
c Water;
d Social Responsibility
63. Our Initiatives Beyond LEED
Lowest VOC levels possible
for all products
1 VOC compliance review
(SCAQMD Rule and GS-11)
after paint products are tinted;
2 VOC compliance for all
adhesives in millwork
made off-site;
3 Minimum recycled content
levels for products.
v
64. Our Initiatives Beyond LEED
Encourage local labour
Select low-maintenance
finishes with proven durability
Consider that maintenance
could be a job provision
aspect for the community
v
65. Our Initiatives Beyond LEED
Does itbreak enhance
or
the sustainability cycle according
to The Natural Step?
66. Our Initiatives Beyond LEED
enhance or
Does it
hinder the
organization’s capacity for
resiliency?
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS “I have a LEED certified product!” What is wrong with this picture?
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS “I have a LEED certified product!” What is wrong with this picture?
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS LEED is a credit system that defines the environmental performance of buildings (not products)Image of one of our LEED buildings
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS “Points are not everything” We want to go beyond LEED points and design for the Environment
LCA rating systems evaluate how each stage of the products life affects resources -environment, pollution -health , social – community factorsCommitted our library to a Life Cycle Assessment evaluation of products
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS In choosing to align to the Building Green rating system we were committing our library to a Life Cycle Assessment evaluation of products. We have been very fortunate to have a longstanding corporate membership with Building Green, which also publishes the Environmental Building News and GreenSpec, a green product directory. Building Green is our model for product evaluation
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS In choosing to align to the Building Green rating system we were committing our library to a Life Cycle Assessment evaluation of products. We have been very fortunate to have a longstanding corporate membership with Building Green, which also publishes the Environmental Building News and GreenSpec, a green product directory. Building Green is our model for product evaluationimage of Building Green GreenSpec Canada
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS There is BEES evaluation system published by NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS There are other LCA evaluation systems for environmentally preferable products (EPP) besides Building Green’s GreenSpec. There is BEES evaluation system published by NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cradle 2 Cradle protocol developed by the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry MBDC and more recently thePharosProject published by the Healthy Building Network with other partners. What is the Answer? We are struggling with the answers just like everyone else. In our library, we are currently in the process of revising our product rating system to find a balance of all these factors in evaluating the products in our library. Going through this process defines for us our values, our line in the sand and the trade offs we are willing to accept. Because there will always be trade offs. Choosing green products has increasingly become more complex if you want to move beyond LEED points and reviewing these rating systems may assist you in setting your own green goals for your product library.
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS In our library, we are currently in the process of revising our product rating system to find a balance of all these factors in evaluating the products in our library. Going through this process defines for us our values, our line in the sand and the trade offs we are willing to accept.While we are still committed to GreenSpec we would love to incorporate some of the graphic elements featured in Pharos and BEES Choosing green products has increasingly become more complex if you want to move beyond LEED pointsReviewing these rating systems may assist you in setting your own green goals for your product library.
PRODUCT RATING SYSTEMS We look for best the manufacturing standards that focus on management systems and tools for setting and realizing environmental goals.Like the benchmark ISO 14000 family of environmental standards
CA Section 01350 , the test for office furnishings, ceiling tiles and other interior productsWe look for standards that support the best in IAQ requirements and low or no VOC emissionsGreen Seal GS 11 StandardCA Section 01350The South Coast Air Quality Standard
The Most comprehensive standard for office furniture to dateDeveloped by Bifma and vetted by the strict standard protocols of the American National Standards InstituteDeveloped using a LCA approach to material use and manufacturing A first for North AmericaFor health provisions includes list of Chemicals of Concern and VOC Concentration Limits
ADD Tradenames for each name located in my user fileGreenSealGreenGuardC RI Carpet and Rug Institute – Green LabelEnvironmental ChoiceEnergy StarForest Stewardship CouncilScientific Certification SystemsSmart Sustainable Textile Standard
We prefer certifiers that measure and examine all aspects of a product not just one attributeNot enough to measure VOC onlyBy not analyzing the content of a productIgnore the impact of the product on the maker and user of the product
We Admire the FSC modelFSC model considers the flora, fauna and community of the area and Follows through on the various manufacturing stages – the chain of custody
We had the good fortune to have on the FSC agencies that manage one Ontario’s largest forest speak to us about their workIt was touching to learn that on one occasionthey adjusted their logging scheduleSo that they would not disturb a rare eagle’s nest that had set up house in one of the trees
Including Car ManufacturersEstablished by the German Government and affects all manufacturers
Imagine a standard like this!We hope that some day our governments will Have the Vision and courage to establish a standard like thisNot a pipe dream! A standard like this exists – but not in North America!Manufacturer responsible for the life cycle of a product and maintains a program for recycling the product at the end of its life
RECYCLED CONTENT VS RECYCLABILITY“Doing the right thing” This C2C protocol developed by the MBDC has created products using a closed loop recycling process without down cycling seeing these products as “technical nutrients” for new product. Many manufacturers and governments are not willing to pursue such risky endeavors and the financial investment involved.Recycled content in products serves an important function in waste reductionBut it has diverted attention from the real goal – the development of Cradle to Cradle product that can be recycled back into the same material.
Story: And yet those that have chosen to be innovators have reaped great rewards. Their investment has paid off handsomely as they havesurvived the downtown turn in the Canadian textile industry, manufacture their own product line as well manufacturing for some the major textile distributors such as DesignTex and Carnegie as well many furniture manufacturersVictor Innovatex, a small Quebec based textile manufacturer worked with MBDC to develop an antimony free new Eco-Intelligent polyester that is environmentally friendly, fully recyclable and uses environment friendly dyes. Image or background of one of their fabrics
We will look at one product where difficult choices have to be made Some people still feel that it is a hard wearing product that outlasts many other flooring and construction products. Others see it as a very toxic product in its extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Both the EU and USGBC have weighed in on the subject with inconclusive resultsThe European Union Environment Commission approved the use of PVC once certain chemicals and heavy metals were removed. The US GreenBuilding Council in their extensive research paper did not come to a clear conclusion on PVC but advised caution in using materials containing certain chemicals. It would seem that it is possible to safely produce and dispose of PVC roofing, but the energy cost is high and the process requires state of the art manufacturing and recycling technology. Sika Roofing has been recycling PVC roofing outside Boston for seven years. For the interior designer PVC is still a problem as the PVC flooring cannot be recycled once installed due to Contamination by the adhesives used in the installation of the product. - PVCOpinion on plastics and particularly on PVC is divided. The European Union Environment Commission The US GreenBuilding Council
RECYCLED CONTENT VS RECYCLABILITY kaiser permanente has been able to remove PVC materials such as flooring, wall panels, corner guards and guard rails We have guard rails made from new PVC materials.Designers, it may seem impossible, don’t forget the possible impact of your specifying and purchasing powerPVC free rubber or other “polymer” flooring best alternate choices for durable resilient flooringThese choices are there because the design community demanded them.Kaiser Permanente a large healthcare consortium has been successful in removing PVC materials from hospital environments
Air Quality and the Library We maintain the size of the library by accepting only materials that meet our requirements and ask suppliers to exchange old product for new when updating the library..We also reviewed our presentation materials and replaced them with VOCfree materials - dry mount rubber cement, double sided tapes and are now checking out some of the new green boards. Library space and air quality issues can also be resolved if the library is more integrated with other public areas in the office. Ours is next to our Think Tank, a large flexible meeting space, used for product presentations, multiple meetings, training sessions and weekly design critiques Story: I had the privilege to work with Peter Rice at the beginning of my career in the design industry. Rice Brydone’s mandate at that time, was place the library right next to the main boardroom. This location achieved two goals – it enforced the need to keep the library organized. It also served as a constant reminder that the library is the very heart of any design practice.
Air Quality and the Library “Walking the Talk” .We also reviewed our presentation materials and replaced them with VOCfree materials - dry mount rubber cement, double sided tapes and are now checking out some of the new green boards. Library space and air quality issues can also be resolved if the library is more integrated with other public areas in the office. Ours is next to our Think Tank, a large flexible meeting space, used for product presentations, multiple meetings, training sessions and weekly design critiques Story: I had the privilege to work with Peter Rice at the beginning of my career in the design industry. Rice Brydone’s mandate at that time, was place the library right next to the main boardroom. This location achieved two goals – it enforced the need to keep the library organized. It also served as a constant reminder that the library is the very heart of any design practice.Review presentation materials and replaced them with VOCfree materials
5 Raising Awareness of Green Materials Research material websites: Green Source, Material Connexion, Materia, Transmaterial, BuildingGreen. Some are free, others may require a membership fee. We have a Green Committee that meets biweekly and discusses tools that will help staff incorporate green product and sustainable design in every project. Set up a green product display every time you receive a new green product. Highlight its merits according to your criteria and rating system. Share your product criteria with all your suppliers, consultants and contractors.Request that product presentations focus on the green aspects of their product or service. Highlight green product in your library. We have always used the integrated approach using a green HOK symbol to highlight a green product. Centralize storage of green product research either online or in Binders. We have a library database that highlights green product and will link the product evaluation with the company. Summary In closing, I would like to share with you two of the Hannover Principles, a document developed by William McDonough Architects for EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. The theme for the expo was “Humanity, Nature and Technology” and incorporated the principles of ecological design in all the exhibition buildings and displays. Principle 5 – “Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless [and ceaseless] creation of products, processes and standards”. Principle 9 – “Seek constant improvement by sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers, and users to link long term sustainable considerations with ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity. Thank you for sharing your time with us for this presentations. We have allowed some time for sharing of ideas and experiences with you.
Raising Awareness of Green MaterialsInvest in a Top Ten list of: Green Books, DVD’s and Magazines – A hand out of green websites, books and magazines is available at the registration desk. We have a Green Committee that meets biweekly and discusses tools that will help staff incorporate green product and sustainable design in every project. Set up a green product display every time you receive a new green product. Highlight its merits according to your criteria and rating system. Share your product criteria with all your suppliers, consultants and contractors.Request that product presentations focus on the green aspects of their product or service. Highlight green product in your library. We have always used the integrated approach using a green HOK symbol to highlight a green product. Centralize storage of green product research either online or in Binders. We have a library database that highlights green product and will link the product evaluation with the company. Summary In closing, I would like to share with you two of the Hannover Principles, a document developed by William McDonough Architects for EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. The theme for the expo was “Humanity, Nature and Technology” and incorporated the principles of ecological design in all the exhibition buildings and displays. Principle 5 – “Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless [and ceaseless] creation of products, processes and standards”. Principle 9 – “Seek constant improvement by sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers, and users to link long term sustainable considerations with ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity. Thank you for sharing your time with us for this presentations. We have allowed some time for sharing of ideas and experiences with you.
Conclusion In closing, I would like to share with you one of the Hannover Principles, a document developed by William McDonough Architects for EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. The theme for the expo was “Humanity, Nature and Technology” and incorporated the principles of ecological design in all the exhibition buildings and displays. Thank you for sharing your time with us for this presentations. We have allowed some time for sharing of ideas and experiences with you.
LEED points are a bonus.(one slide w/the following logos or images from: The Natural Step; MBDC's Cradle to Cradle; and GreenSpec from BuildingGreen.com);
The earth’s crust is built up and replaced very slowly.Matter AND energy change but don't go away.The Earth is an open system to energy: sunlight comes in and heat goes out.Photosynthesis "pays the bills".
TNS BackcastingWe are all in this funnel which is narrowinghuman demand is outstripping our supply of natural resources. change the shape of this funnel. decrease our impacts and restore life support systems. At the end of the funnel is the sustainable future that we are aiming for. This is a principle-based understanding of sustainability in the future, and uses 'backcasting' to figure out the steps to take to get there. The organizations that don't incorporate sustainability will 'hit the wall' of the funnel
We are disrupting these natural cycles and causing them to break down.
(Image of stone tile);(Image of a PVC product); increase concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust
increase concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust(Image of stone tile);(Image of a PVC product);
(Image of child labour… manufacturing area rugs… check Rugmark: http://www.rugmark.org/home.php).
Cradle to Cradle is a phrase coined by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s and popularized by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their 2002 book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.
Biological nutrients that can be composted or consumed(Image of wood).While some may look at cows as sources of meat, dairy, or leather, researchers at Michigan State University have found a more sustainable (and abundant!), yet equally useful bovine by-product: you guessed it, manure. Surprisingly, the material, when sterilized, is entirely odorless and offers some wonderful characteristics for the production of a variety of fiberboard building materials. The manure essentially replaces the role of sawdust in the production of particle boards, which would cut wood usage as well as posing a creative solution to the huge problem of agricultural waste disposal (1.5 to 2 TRILLION tons of you-know-what per year!)
Technical nutrients that can be recycled or reused with no loss of quality (Image of recycled polyester);
By contrast cradle to grave refers to a company taking responsibility for the disposal of goods it has produced, but not necessarily putting products’ constituent components back into service.
(Zoomed-Out Image of Cell Phones, 2007 60x100"www.chrisjordan.com Depicts 426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell phones retired in the US every day.)
plus sideevaluates production processes, material composition, toxicity (parts per million). not transparent, consistent, somewhat subjective. Material ConneXion, MBDC and Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency Announced Strategic Collaboration on Friday, September 19th.not monetarily independentDespite highly-respected third party certificationInnovation in Design catalogue for the USGBC (3% construction materials minimum)
http://www.natcap.org/It is based on three principles:Buy time with energy efficiency.(CFL lamp)Redesign using biomimicry and cradle to cradle. (Image of Victor Innovatex, Inc.Eco Intelligent® Polyester http://www.victor-innovatex.com/en/s3_2.php)Institutions to be restorative (Image of bioregenerative waste treatment systems (Living Machine))
Institutions to be restorative (Image of bioregenerative waste treatment systems (Living Machine))
Agricultural waste material (products made from straw stems left after harvesting cereal grains);Unusual rapidly renewable products(form-release agents made from plant oils) (natural paints) (geotextile fabrics from coir and jute, cork, and such textiles as organic cotton, wool, and sisal)
biodegradableOften low in VOC emissionsproduced from agricultural cropsnon-organic cotton - highly pesticide-intensive -not recommendedNatural or minimally processed products (stone tile). Reduce material use or use material efficiently (Drywall clips that allow the elimination of corner studs; engineered stair stringers that reduce lumber waste; concrete pigments that turn concrete slabs into attractive finished floors, eliminating additional finishes)Exceptional durability or low maintenance requirements (terrazzo flooring).
deplete stratospheric ozonemercuryhalogenated compoundsAvoid Toxic or Other Emissions (CCA preserved wood (standard green stain) with a strike through it)Alternatives to hazardous products (fluorescent lamps with low mercury levels).Alternatives to products made with brominated fire retardants(Maharambrominated-fire-retardant-free fabrics).
Alternatives to ozone-depleting substances (rigid foam insulation)Reduce impacts from construction or demolition(Fluorescent lamp and ballast recyclers)( low-mercury fluorescent lamps).
Alternatives to products made with chlorinated hydrocarbons such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC)(Roppe natural rubber base)Nonformaldehyde manufactured wood products(Medite from Columbia Forest Products)
20% savings compared w/ US FED standard of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf);Maximum Performance (MaP) standard:grams of test media removal per liter of flush volume.BuildingGreen minimum of 65. Toilets >20% water savings and meet the MaP standard(Caroma ‘Sydney’ toilet www.caromausa.com)Improve light quality (skylights)(full-spectrum lighting systems) (highly reflective ceiling panels).
Cogeneration combines heat and power; TES equipment reduces peak loads, lower capital expenditure and therefore lowering the impact of electricity generationReduce pollution or waste from operations (Masonry fireplaces) (Recycling Bins)Exceed the Energy Star® standards by 10% or 20%(dishwasher) (refrigerator). Reduce heating and cooling loads (autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks) (high-performance windows and glazings).Cogeneration equipment (Microturbines) (Ice- or chilled-water thermal energy storage (TES) equipment)
blocks the entry of mold-laden air or insulation fibers into a duct systemblock the introduction, development, or spread of indoor contaminants.linoleum helps to control microbial growth because of the ongoing process of linoleic acid oxidation). Protect indoor air quality (Duct mastic)Prevent the introduction of pollutants (Coated ductboard)Block the spread of indoor contaminants (linoleum) Products that remove indoor pollutants (radon mitigation equipment)
noise adds to stress and discomfortProducts that help control noise (acoustic insulation, panels) (noise masking systems) (noise cancelling technologies)
Lowest VOC levels possible for all products, even those beyond the weather barrier, without compromising performanceVOC compliance review (SCAQMD Rule and GS-11) after paint products are tinted;VOC compliance for all adhesives in millwork made off-site;Minimum recycled content levels for products.
Lowest VOC levels possible for all products, even those beyond the weather barrier, without compromising performanceVOC compliance review (SCAQMD Rule and GS-11) after paint products are tinted;VOC compliance for all adhesives in millwork made off-site;Minimum recycled content levels for products.