As just stated on the Healthy Indoor Air page, green floors include concrete, but Portland cement, which is required to make concrete, requires a lot of energy to make. Photovoltaics, which use the free energy of the sun, are an example of resource efficiency. Products that originate in your local area require less fuel transportation costs. Wood products from sustainably managed forests, certified according to the principles of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), will prevent the clearcutting of the rainforests in South America and Indonesia, for example.
Examples of products that are durable but harmful to people and the environment are pressure treated or creosoted lumber. Products made from sustainable and renewable materials are always the best choice. Using salvaged products is also a desirable option. Recycled content materials such as engineered wood products, fiber cement siding, and shingles from recycled tires are examples of green technology.
Assessing the impact of materials through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ensures that we understand a product's impact from resource extraction to manufacturer to installation and lastly, to disposal.
Environmental Buildings News, the longtime standard of the green movement, has a database of approximately 2,000 environmentally-friendly building products based on third party testing procedures by groups having an interest in green building.
