Building or renovating a home with green products is becoming more main stream with more options and improving costs. Consider using glass and concrete around the home.

Countertops made of recycled glass and concrete can be a thing of the future. Recycled glass is glass that is saved from the landfill and when it needs to be changed in the future, it can by recycled again.

It can be used for backsplashes, shower walls, tabletops, flooring and even outdoor pavers. You have multiple choices for finishes as well; gloss, honed or sandblasted for slip resistance.

It qualifies for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification because it is made from recycled materials and is VOC (volatile organinc compounds) free.

If building a new home, polished concrete floors avoid trips to the landfill with old carpets and tile. Because of the thermal properties of concrete, cooling and heating energy needs are reduced. Indoor air quality becomes more improved without carpet and the need for glues and adhesives.

The need for harsh detergents and cleaning liquids is diminished with concrete floors - all you need is water and a mop. Ambient lighting is in abundance with polished concrete floors so you save more money on the electricity bill.

Source: Article by Maggie Calloway in the column "Smart Choices for our Future"

In Part 2 of Greener Clothing, we look at alternative fabrics; some of which requires balancing price with environmental friendliness. The greenest solution though is buying used clothing as it avoids filling up the landfill and requires no new raw materials.

Part 2:

• Organic Cotton - growers don't use pesticides and fertilizers and many stores carry organic clothing. Even name brands like Levi's offers organic options like it's 'eco' jeans.
• Organic Wool - producers don't expose their sheep to hormones or pesticides and only use sustainable grazing practices
• Bamboo - grows really quickly and requires little to no pesticides. Some are certified chemical-free.
• Soy - manufactured from a mixture of left-overs from tofu production and organic compunds so new crops are grown
• Recycled Plastic - plastic bottles are turned into polyester which is then used in clothing
• Hemp - eco-friendly crop that requires little to no pesticides and hemp clothing very durable

Going organic can cost the producers a lot more money and they pass on the costs to the consumers by having more expensive price tags.

Also, a few Bamboo producers in China, with the growing demand for bamboo, have started using more chemicals.

• Other Alternatives - buy less of the new stuff and try out the used and vintage clothing shops. Swapping clothes with friends and relatives is another option and can be lots of fun.

Source: Article by Edward M. Eveld titled "Commit to 'greener' clothing"

Wal-Mart has 3 long term global sustainability goals:

• to produce zero waste
• to operate with 100 per cent renewable energy
• to make environmentally preferable products available

In Canada, to achieve these goals, their new outlets opening in 2009 will be designed to save 30% in energy use. These new stores would be called Wal-Mart HE (high-efficiency). And over 5 years, the HE stores would save Wal-Mart $25 million.

Wal-Mart HE stores would achieve these energy savings by:

• using waste energy from refrigerators to help heat stores
• cutting lighting costs
• covering roofs with white membranes to reflect sunlight and lower summer cooling costs
• reducing the size of the buildings

Wal-Mart also has their sustainability initiatives, partnerships and products showcased at their "For the Greener Good" website. Their products page outlines new eco-friendly products broken down by various categories.

Source: Article from Report on Business titled "Wal-Mart Canada stores aim for energy efficiency"

State-of-the-art green homes can be sold at market price 

Weatherford Place in Roswell Georgia is a green residential community. It's described as a "solar community of net-zero energy homes" built to the greenest building standards.

In fact, each "EcoCraft" home is at a platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) level. The highest level which includes points for such things as reuse of materials, pollution reduction, green power, rapitable renewable resources, etc. It's the first project of it's kind built using "Nature's Code".

The solar power generation in the community is what differentiates this development from the rest. One of the unique features is that each house serves as a power source for the community. The solar energy collected from the houses are put in to the power grid and used by everyone. The specifications show that each home should generate more than it uses thus making each home a net-zero energy home.

The homes also use 2/3 less energy than regular homes and use solar power to heat water, etc. Each home will have monitors and sensors to measure energy consumption and the overall eco-friendliness. The data will be used in energy-efficiency studies.

The prices of these homes are listed at $750,000 USD (for homes between 2500 to 3900 square feet), but have already appraised at $1 million. This project indicates that green homes can be built to LEED standards and can be profitable.

Source: Article in Event Magazine by Maria Saporta titled "Green Homes"

Scotiabank is a financial institution that takes pride in its corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Scotiabank has made strides in it's commitment to its employees, the communities that they are a part of, and the world at large, to work towards positive change.

They have:

• doubled the number of paperless record-keeping
• provided financing of more than $2 billion for the renewable energy sector 
• contributed $43 million to community causes in Canada and around the world
• expanded their children's educational savings programs to 17 countries

In addition, the institution works diligently to reduce their environmental impact by making choices that leave a minimal carbon footprint.

Their efforts include:

• making use of energy-efficient photocopiers
• installing environmentally friendly carpeting
  
• buying furniture made from recycled materials
• participating in programs to recycle paper, toner cartridges, glass and office equipment
• encouraging their clients to buy into paper-less record keeping
• launching the Scotia Global Climate Change Fund to allow investors to invest in companies that are environmentally responsible

To find out more about their efforts towards their corporate social responsibility, visit their CSR page.

WaterGeeks helps make water safe and helps you conserve

Brent Mielke, the CEO of WaterGeeks started out as an executive producer for the documentary FLOW: For the Love of Water, which deals with the state of today's water supply.

Among some of the things outlined in the film:

• lead pipes in homes - stagnant water dissolves the lead which then enters the water
• water shortage around the world
• safe drinking water - about a billion people don't have access to safe drinking water
• water from rivers cannot be consumed in their raw form

With the problems outlined in the film, Mielke decided to come up with solutions in the form of his company: WaterGeeks.

The company offers a line of filter water bottles that makes the water safe by either removing lead and chlorine, or making water from rivers drinkable. The bottles can be used in various regions that have their own distinctive problems because the filteration happens at the consumer level. The bottles are reusable which reduces the carbon footprint and don't contain the compound bisphenol A (BPA) which doesn't pollute the environment and is non-toxic.

To conserve water, the company offers flex-regulating technologies which reduces water consumption by 50%.

The company will have a grand opening in June.

Source: Article by Kathy Michaels titled "Conservation theme adopted"

E-friendly renovation tips that can increase the value of your investment

• Windows - switch to triple-glazed that are installed properly
• Lighting - use sensor lights, skylights, compact-flourescent bulbs
• Heating - get high-efficiency furnaces, radiant heating, solar panels, solar heated hot water tanks (hot water tanks are 25% of your gas bill)
• Insulation - pack insulation in the walls, basement, attic, around pipes
• Water - install low flow toilets and showerheads, install on-demand hot water heaters
• Paint - use paint that has no VOCs (these cause breathing problems)
• Carpet - install wool carpets that don't pollute the air and are renewable,
• Floors - use renewable resources such as bamboo or cork or recycle old materials
• Surfaces - use products such as PaperStone that is made from recycled paper instead of non-renewable stone

Tips gathered from Joanna Pachner's article titled "Green renos increase a home's value".