EcO · Resource Bookocycle.pbworks.com/f/EcO+Resource+Book.pdf · EcO · Resource Book 1...

EcO · Resource Book

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Table of Contents Introduction 1 Product Rating System 2

Materials and their Impact 3

Eco · Materials 4 Recycling · Salvage 7

Eco · Books 8 Eco · Websites 9 Glossary of Terms 10

Acknowledgements 16

EcO · Resource Book 1

Introduction

I chose the butterfly image seen in this book to be a metaphor for the shift in environmental consciousness that the world seems to be undergo-ing. Historically, the butterfly has symbolised "significant change in the course of one’s life, personality or way of thinking." (cited from www.magicoflife.org).

This book is a reference for sustainable materials options for artists and designers. In future editions I will include a list of restaurants and grocery stores for those who are interested in a holistic path to change. My plan is to make this reference available online in order to save on printing materials and keep the information current and updatable.

2 EcO · Resource Book

Product Rating System

In order to be environmentally and socially sustainable, materials must meet the following criteria:

SOURCE TO RESOURCE

Where does it come from? What is it made of? Is any of it recycled?

MANUFACTURE

How is it made? Has it been manufactured responsibly? Does the manufacturer have a green commitment?

LABOR Does the manufacturer use equitable labor and trade practices?

TRANSPORTATION

Where does it come from? What path does it take from there? What method of transportation does it use?

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

How does this product affect your health? How does this product affect the health of your environment? How does this product affect the health of the environment ?

LIFESPAN & LIFECYCLE

What is the lifespan of the product? What is the lifecycle of the product? Is the product reusable or made od high grade recyclable material?

*Source: livingreen 'Shades of Green' Product Rating System, with a few added stipulations


Materials and their Impact

POLYMERS AND ELASTOMERS (plastics and rubber like materials) · refining raw petroleum into new materials creates more emissions than recycling plastics

METALS

· the range of impacts among metals is greater than the range of plastics · stainless steel is more damaging than regular steel· precious metals are extremely impactful on the environment· recycled metals have less impact than virgin metals

WOOD COMPOSITES

· formaldehyde, a toxin found in many adhesives, such as those in ply-wood and panel board, paints, caulks and other building materials has been upgraded from a possible carcinogen to a known one by the World Health Organization· materials containing this chemical are known to "off-gas" and pollute the indoor environment· plywood and particleboard production possess a high acid rain impact

FIBERS AND FABRICS

· cotton production uses the most amount of pesticides on the planet· wool production is linked to climate change due to high amounts of methane released in the atmosphere· polyester has a high global warming impacts (petroleum based)· leather tanning releases large amounts of heavy metals (chromium)

*Source: Okala: Learning Ecological Design. Steve Belletire, et al., IDSA, 2007


Eco · ResourcesALTERNATIVE FUELwww.biodiesel-coop.org*www.labiofuel.com*

FABRIC/CLOTHING/INSULATIONwww.climatex.comwww.dtex.comwww.maharam.comwww.ruckstuhl.comwww.annemette-beck.dkwww.looolo.cawww.pallastextiles.comwww.terratex.comwww.patagonia.com*

FLOORINGwww.interfaceinc.comwww.forbo.comwww.naturalstoneoutlet.com*

LIGHTINGwww.psolera.com

METALwww.capalex.comwww.rare-earth-magnets.com

PAPERwww.afandpa.orgwww.rollerboardindustries.comwww.paperfoam.comwww.shetkastone.comwww.vivavi.comyca.yupo.comwww.snapboard.co.atwww.enviropak.comwww.papertubes.comwww.sonoco.comwww.theecopak.comwww.papyrusaustralia.com.au


Eco Resources Continued -

PLASTICwww.european-bioplastics.orgwww.recycledplastic.comwww.renewalbyandersen.com*www.tectan.dewww.novamont.comwww.greenplastics.comwww.treeplast.comwww.3-form.comwww.forbo-flooring.comwww.avebe.name/group/index_uk.htmwww.extechplastics.comwww.mgpingredients.comwww.worldcentric.org*www.earthwarebiodegradables.comwww.mirelplastics.comwww.plantic.com.auwww.plantic.co.ukwww.materbi.com/ing/html/mappa/indexmappa.htmlwww.hycail.comwww.traypak.com/www.plasticingenuity.com/greenIngenuity.php

SOLARwww.acmegreen.com* www.siliconsolar.comwww.californiasolar.com*www.solarelectricalsystems.com*www.permacity.com*www.eesolar.com*


Eco · Resources Continued -

WOOD and Wood Productswww.ecotimber.com*www.sustainablelumber.comwww.teragren.com*www.smartwood.comwww.environbiocomposites.comwww.mendocinowoodworking.comwww.fscus.org*www.buildinggreen.com*www.kireiusa.com*www.sustainablelumber.comwww.certifiedwood.org www.environbiocomposites.com www.aboutsfi.org www.metafore.org www.durapalm.com www.sierrapine.com www.calpanel.com*

www.epOxygreen.com*www.livingreen.com*www.andersonplywood.com* - special orders

CORKwww.corkave.comwww.marylandcork.com

RUBBERwww.yemmhart.com

GLASSwww.sinceraglass.comwww.tinycircus.com


Eco · Resources Continued -

PAINT/ADHESIVESwww.mythicpaint.comwww.yolocolorhouse.com*www.bioshieldpaint.comwww.auro.comwww.eco2000.com.auwww.ecospaints.comwww.roosintl.comwww.triedandtruewoodfinish.comwww.woodcraft.comwww.livingreen.com*www.milkpaint.comwww.plastruct.com*www.americanclay.comwww.greenplanetpaints.com*www.ibacktonature.com

STONEwww.aacpa.orgwww.vetrazzo.com*www.rastra.com

GENERAL PRODUCTwww.recycledproducts.org.ukwww.robin-reigi.comwww.earthfriendlymoving.com*www.greenforbaby.com*

* local distributor (California)


Recycling · Salvage

California RecyclesRecycling all types of electronics, phones, monitors, computers, TVs, printer toner, batteries, chargers.1932 Cotner Ave. Los Angeles 90025(310) 478-3001www.californiarecycles.com

Habitat Builders Surplus StoreSalvaged building materials. Carries used and antique doors, windows, tile, lighting, etc.770 N Fair Oaks Ave Pasadena 91103(626) 792-3838www.sgvhabitat.org West LA Recyling Center Drop-off site that pays for beverage containers, newspapers, scrap metal. No money for cardboard, but they’ll take it.4422 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles 90016(323) 737-8923


Eco · Books

Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough & Michael Braungart, North Point Press, 2002

Design + Environment: A Global Guide to Designing Greener Goods. Lewis, Gersa-kis, Grant, Morelli and Sweatman, Greenleaf Publishing Ltd., 2001

Eco-Design, The Sourcebook. Alastair Faud-Luke, Chronicle Books, 2004

Design for the Real World. Victor Papenek, Academy Chicago Publishers, 1985 Experimental Eco Design. Cara Brower, Rachel Mallory, Zachary Ohlman,RotoVision, 2005

Green Plastics: An Introduction to the New Science of Biodegradable Plastics. E. S. Stevens, Princeton University Press, 2001

Green to Gold. Daniel Esty & Andrew S. Winston, Yale University Press, 2006

Green Design, Various authors, Mark Batty Publisher, 2006

Okala: Learning Ecological Design. Steve Belletire, et al., IDSA, 2007

The Sustainable Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift, Andreas Edwards, New Soci-ety Publishers, 2005

Building Green: A Complete How-to Guide to Alternative Building Methods. Clarke Snell et al., Sterling Publishing, 2006 The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime, and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homesby Cedar Rose Guelberth et al., 2003

The Sick House Survival Guide: Simple Steps to Healthier Homes. Angela Hobbs, New Society Publishers, 2003 The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cot-tage. Ianto Evans et al., 2002 The Resourceful Renovator: A Gallery of Ideas for Reusing Building Materials. Chel-sea Green Publishing Company, 2000


Eco · Websites

THE BIOMIMICRY GUILD

Since 1998, the Guild has been helping companies and communities find, vet, understand and emulate life's time-tested strategies. By emu-lating 3.8 billion years of well-adapted technology, we help innovators design sustainable products and processes that create conditions condu-cive to all life.

www.biomimicryguild.com

BUILDERS GREENSOURCE

Builders' GreenSource is southern California's leading distributor of Smith & Fong's Plyboo and Durapalm products. In addition to a wide range of these top quality Builders' Greensource offers an ever expand-ing line of green products such as bamboo plywood, bamboo flooring, coconut palm plywood, and coconut palm flooring. www.buildersgreensource.com

GLOBAL GREEN USA

Global Green USA is a national environmental organization addressing three of the greatest challenges facing humanity: global climate change; eliminating weapons of mass destruction; and providing clean, safe drinking water for 2.4 billion people.

www.globalgreen.org

GREEN BUILDING RESOURCE CENTER

A partnership between Global Green USA and the City of Santa Moni-ca, the Green building Resource Center os stocked with samples of the most popular environmentally friendly building materials www.globalgreen.org/gbrc/index.htm

GREENOPIA

The latest eco info and guide you to local resources, businesses and services.

http://www.greenopia.com/LA/


Eco · Websites Continued -

TREEHUGGER

TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainabil-ity mainstream. Partial to a modern aesthetic, we strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information

www.treehugger.com

THE GREEN

Mulitmedia destination dedicated to environmentally sustainable ap-proaches to modern living

www.sundancechannel.com/thegreen/

UCLA SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE CENTER

The UCLA Sustainable Resource Center has been established by the Graduate Student Association to promote sustainability through facilitat-ing the provision of resources, information, and education to the gradu-ate student body, campus and community ... Services include a library, online resource site, educational events, and career services.

http://gsa.asucla.ucla.edu/~src/communityresources.html

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings accessible to everyone within a generation.

www.usgbc.org/

WORLDCHANGING

Worldchanging is a solutions-based online magazine that works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a betterfuture lie all around us

www.worldchanging.com



Glossary

BIOACCUMULATIONThe potential of a substance to concentrate in the tissues of living organisms and move up the food chain to animals and humans through ingestion.

BIODEGRADEABLE: The property of a substance that permits it to be broken down by bacteria and other microorganisms into simple, stable products that will not harm the environment.

BIODIVERSITYThe variety of life on Earth. "Bio" means life and "diversity" means difference.

BIOSPHERETerm for organisms that meet the seven characteristics of life: Movement, feed-ing, respiration, excretion, growth, reproduction, and sensitivity.

BIO-RESINA bio-resin is a polymer (plastic) made from new carbon, like corn or sugar or soy. Bio-resin products look and act just like regular plastics, but they don’t depend on petroleum and are carbon neutral. Everything from disposable food packaging to telephones can be made from bio-resins. John Deere is building tractor bodies out of bio-resins, and Boeing is replacing old aircraft with new bio-resin bodies. And for us gardeners, bio-resin plant labels, plastic mulches and other products are coming to market and giving us all a way to participate in the green wave.

CARBONA chemical element that is found in all plants and animals. Carbon is found in fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas. When fossil fuels are burned the carbon is released into the air and can join with oxygen to make carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

CONSERVATIONThe use of natural resources in a way that assures their continuing availability to future generations; the wise and intelligent use or protection of natural re-sources.


Glossary Continued -

CARBON-NEUTRAL DESIGNBuildings are a main contributor to global warming generating 30% of U.S. CO2 emissions (the most significant greenhouse gas pollutant). Mini-mizing energy use that requires the burning of fuels for power genera-tion which causes CO2 emissions can go a long way to reducing global warming. It is improbable that one can design a project with zero carbon emissions, but it is possible that once the energy footprint is dramatically reduced, the remaining emissions can be offset through outside sources, essentially creating carbon-neutral site. There are many carbon calcula-tors available on-line to estimate the carbon released for single person or family, but it is recommended to hire an energy consultant to determine an accurate amount of carbon emissions for a large-scale project.

CARCINOGENCancer causing substance

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYThe inclusion of environmental and social policies into the day-to-day op-erating of every aspect of corporate business.

CLOSED LOOP RECYCLINGRecycling material back to the same type of product.

COMPOSTABLEBiodegradable within a certain period of time. Depending on the certifi-cation requirements, this can range from 60 to 180 days under industrial composting conditions, including temperatures up to 140 degrees F, ad-equate moisture and bacterial or enzymatic action.

CONSUMERISMThe theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically ben-eficial.The attachment to materialistic values and possessions.

DESIGN for ENVIRONMENT (DfE)The analysis and optimization of environmental health and safety issues for the whole lifecycle of a product. DESIGN for MANUFACTURING (DfM)Designing product for maximum resource usage using combining CAD and CAM tools. Maximizing cost effectiveness and reducing environmen-tal impacts.



DESIGN for RECYCLING (DfR)Designing a product with the goal that it could go easily into recycling facility at the end of it useful life. Usually by using one material or arrang-ing the components so they can separate easily.

DESIGN for DISSASEMBLY (DfX)Designing product so that it can come apart easily with or without special tools.

DOWNCYCLINGThe degradation of quality due to the recycling of virgin material. Some plastics degrade in properties as you recycle them.

ECO- DESIGNA product design that takes into account the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle, ranging from extraction of raw materi-als to production, transportation, use, recycling, and final disposal. It is based on Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) but can also include design changes for social or ethical needs.Eco-design is a synonym of ’Design for Environment’ (DfE).

ECO-MATERIALSMaterials that provide a maximum performance with a minimum impact on the environment. A material originating from the biosphere should be biodegradable so that it can return to the biosphere. A material originat-ing from the technosphere should be easily recyclable so that it can stay within a closed loop.

ECOLOGICAL FOOOTPRINTMeasures human impact upon the environment - how much space or pro-ductive land is needed to support an individual's lifestyle. The larger the footprint the more impact the individual has on the Earth. The land, air and water that a city or nation needs to produce all of its resources and to dispose of all its waste. It is a way to determine if the lifestyle of a com-munity is sustainable. It shows if a city or nation is utilizing more or less than its fair sustainable share of the world’s resources.

END-of-LIFE (EoL)The moment when a product ceases to fulfill the tasks it was designed for. The end-of-life of a product is not the end of its life cycle, since its envi-ronmental impact has not yet come to an end; the disassembly, recycling, incineration, and/or disposal phases still remain.


Glossary Continued - ENERGY STARAn energy-efficiency rating system sponsored by the Environmental Pro-tection Agency. A high Energy Star rating means that the product is de-signed to minimize its energy consumption. www.energy star.gov

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION (EPD)An EPD contains quantified data on the environmental impact over the life cycle of a product. These are known as the ’green technical specifi-cations’. It includes pre-set parameters based on ISO 14040 standards, and may sometimes include additional environmental information. It al-lows prospective customers to compare the environmental performance of competing products on a fair basis. EPDs are also very useful for demon-strating the environmental improvements of a product over time.

FORMALDEHYDE -- A toxin found in many adhesives, such as those in plywood and panel board; paints, caulks and other building materials. The World Health Organization recently upgraded it from a possible carcinogen to a known one. When present in the home, it tends to "off-gas" and pollute the indoor environment. These days there are plenty of formaldehyde-free alternatives, such as nontoxic paint and the plywood alternative wheat board

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC)A third-party certification for wood, wood products and forests. The FSC tracks the wood from its forest of origin all the way through the chain of custody to where the product is sold. An FSC certified product has been harvested and produced in a stringently

GREEN DESIGN A term used in the fields of architecture, construction, product and inte-rior design. It is any design that aims to be environmentally sound, with-out necessarily investigating the complete life cycle. The basic principles are simple: choose energy efficiency wherever possible, work in harmony with the natural features and resources, and use materials that are sustain-ably grown or recycled rather than new materials from non-renewable resources…or designing while keeping in mind the environmental impact of a product during its useful life

GREENHOUSE GASSES Man made gaseous emissions that get trapped inside the earth’s layer of atmosphere, trapping the suns heat and resulting in Global Warming.



GREYWATERWastewater resultant from personal, general, or professional use.

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS or LIFE CYCLE ASSESMENT (LCA)A calculation of the environmental impact of a product over its complete life cycle. It starts with an inventory of the ’input’ (all resources and en-ergy consumption) and ’output’ (emissions, solid waste, waste water). The elements in this inventory are grouped into environmental categories, which are quantified according to their environmental impact. The goal is to compare different design strategies within a category.

OFF-GASSINGMany of those “new house” smells are actually hazardous to our health. The emissions from building materials and other products in the home ac-cumulate in the bloodstream and have been linked to increasing rates of asthma and some cancers, particularly in children. The best way to avoid off-gassing is to look for natural products that don’t contain toxins such as formaldehyde.

RECYCLED CONTENT (PCR)The amount of recycled (reused) material in a given product. Post-industri-al recycled content refers to the use of scraps from industrial manufactur-ing. Post consumer content is the reuse of products that consumers have used and thrown away.

SOLAR ENERGYEnergy derived from the sun. The solar panels that most of us associate with solar energy are called photovoltaic panels; they transform the sun’s rays into usable electricity. Solar thermal processes can be used to heat our hot water.

ORGANICRelated to living things; made by or gotten from plants or animals.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTEnvironmentally friendly forms of economic growth activities (agriculture, logging, manufacturing, etc.) that allow the continued production of a commodity without damage to the ecosystem (soil, water supplies, biodi-versity or other surrounding resources). Meets the needs of present gen-erations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.


Glossary Continued - LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY & Environmental Design (LEED)Developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED rating system is the most widely known and accepted green build-ing certification program. www.usgbc.org/leed

TRANSPORT ENERGY The energy required to transport product from the manufacturing to the retailer/consumer. Local manufacture and local purchasing results in low-er transport energy.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs)Natural and synthetic organic chemical that can easily move from the solid to liquid or gaseous phase. Resulting in off-gassing. The toxic or noxious chemicals that are found in or released from paints, stains, ad-hesives and sealants. Whenever possible, look for products labeled as having Low, No or Zero VOCs.

WASTECommercial or individual by-product, anything left over or superfluous, as excess material or by-products, not of use for the work in hand.

ZERO EMISSIONNo measurable or harmful affect resultant from the running of a ma-chine or engine.


Acknowledgements

Michael Kollins, who gave me the opportunity to start this book

Nadine Afari, for inspiring me to walk the talk

Christopher Paterno, for his list of resources and references

...and too many websites to name at this time

Thanks!

Nicole

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