What it means to be green

Learn how to sort through the enviro-friendly product hype

By Jay Somerset

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I walk into a hardware store and the word “green” is everywhere. There are green paints, green appliances, green flooring and green windows that scream, “Buy me if you care about the world you live in.” I see formaldehyde-free engineered wood, lumber harvested from sustainable forests, compact fluorescent light bulbs, VOC-free paint…the list goes on.

Contrary to Kermit the Frog's lament, it is easy being green these days, so long as you can separate what's legitimate, what's a marketing ploy and what's worth the cost. Just because something is labelled “green,” “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” doesn't necessarily mean it's a smart buy.

“Advertisers will print anything to sell a product, so you have to educate yourself and figure out if the claim comes from one small feature or if the product really is green or energy-efficient,” says Bill Crawford, chief technical adviser at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). “There's no national labelling program we can turn to, so look for specific claims rather than vague ones.” Since anyone can tack on the word green, use the label as an entry point, not the decisive factor in whether to buy or not.

Saving energy

Luckily, government and manufacturers have done some of the research for us–at least, in terms of energy efficiency. “If a window or door or appliance has an Energy Star label, you know it's efficient,” says Crawford. Energy Star is a North America-wide program supported in Canada by the federal government's Office of Energy Efficiency. You'll find the label on windows, doors, lighting, ventilation fans, furnaces, fridges, skylights, light bulbs, air conditioners and household appliances.

“We've seen a huge demand for Energy Star-rated products over the past three years,” says Anne Wilkins, Energy Star equipment file manager for Natural Resources Canada. “And as demand increases, price goes down. Most Energy Star products cost the same or just slightly more than other products.”

They also save you money on energy bills. For example, if the windows, skylights and doors in an average home were replaced with Energy Star-rated products, household energy consumption would be reduced by about 12 per cent, slashing your energy bills and helping to cut back on greenhouse-gas emissions.

As far as Energy Star lighting goes, compact fluorescent bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescent ones, plus they use almost three times less power. “With an incandescent light, almost 85 per cent of the power used goes up in heat, so you're paying for something you don't need,” says Crawford.

But there's more to think about than energy savings. “If your only concern is energy efficiency, look no further than an Energy Star label. But if you're going for a more holistic approach that includes other factors, such as sustainability, indoor air quality and recycled content, then look for EcoLogo-branded products,” says Kevin Gallagher, vice-president of Terra Choice, a science-based environmental marketing firm that administers the EcoLogo labelling program for Environment Canada.

Unlike Energy Star, which focuses squarely on energy efficiency, the EcoLogo label considers manufacturing processes, recycled content and the chemical makeup of a product. Building materials–gypsum wallboard, hardwood flooring, adhesives, paint–as well as appliances, windows and doors, venting, and furniture are all part of the EcoLogo program.

Certified green

“Green” or “environmentally friendly” certification labels appear on everything from lumber to appliances. Labels are a contentious issue. At the heart of the debate is what these claims actually mean. The best advice? Beware of vague claims, and look for official accreditation with the following labels:

  • CSA (Canadian Standards Association): recycled content, energy-efficient
  • CSA SFM (Sustainable Forest Management): lumber and paper from certified, sustainable forests
  • EcoLogo: building materials and appliances certified for recycled content, indoor air quality, low VOCs, energy-efficient, water-efficient
  • Energy Star: energy-efficient appliances, lighting and building materials
  • FSC (Forest Stewardship Council): lumber and paper from certified, sustainable forests
  • Greenguard: products (flooring, furniture, finishes) and appliances (furnaces, water heaters) that promote indoor air quality
  • Green Label Plus: low-VOC carpets and rugs
  • Green Seal: low-VOC cleaners, paint, carpet, lighting and particleboard
  • Rediscovered Wood: reclaimed or recycled wood
  • SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative): lumber and paper from certified, sustainable forests

Draft dodgers

Not all green building choices require a special label. Retrofitting energy-efficient homes almost always begins in the basement. Heat seeks cold, so the first place it seeps out is through your foundation wall. Before you spend time doubling up on insulation, seal the holes and cracks. “Think of walking outside on a cold, wet day in a wool sweater-sooner or later, the heat will leave you,” says Crawford. “Wear two sweaters, and the same thing happens. But put a windbreaker on, and the heat stays in. The same is true of your home. Don't spend time and money insulating your home if it's full of leaks.”

Caulking the leaky spots is simple; finding the exact spots is a little more difficult. There are companies, such as GreenSaver in Toronto, that will come to your house and do the searching for you. “We depressurize the house so we can find the exact spots that cause drafts,” says GreenSaver CEO and president Vladan Veljovic. A GreenSaver energy audit costs $250.

Once the holes are sealed, it's time to buy the insulation. Veljovic prefers blown-in cellulose for its energy efficiency and the materials it's made from. “It depends on the house, but in most cases, it's much more efficient than fibreglass insulation,” he says. The pricing is similar, but blown-in cellulose carries extra benefits: it's a natural wood product, made from about 75 per cent recycled newspaper, is fire-retardant and has a higher R-rating than most fibreglass insulation.

Green rebates

  • Even though the Energuide for Houses program was recently cut by the federal government, several provincial and municipal rebate programs encourage conservation:
  • The Ontario government's Every Kilowatt Counts provides a $500 rebate when homeowners replace their outdated central air conditioner with an Energy Star unit. There's also a $50-rebate for a tune-up on your old unit and a $75-rebate on the supply and installation of a programmable thermostat. Visit conservationbureau.on.ca.
  • Manitoba Hydro's Power Smart furnace and boiler replacement program offers a $245 credit on your natural gas bill for the installation of a new Energy Star furnace or boiler. And the Power Smart home insulation program will rebate up to 100 per cent of your material costs when you add insulation. Visit hydro.mb.ca and click on “Saving With Power Smart.”
  • Enbridge Gas is offering all residential customers a $100 credit for upgrading their existing heating system to a high-efficiency, natural gas, forced-air furnace or boiler heating system. Customers of Enbridge Gas in New Brunswick are eligible to receive a $600 incentive if they upgrade their home-heating system. Call 800—268—5442 for more information.
  • The B.C. government offers an exemption from provincial taxes for qualifying residential furnaces, boilers and heat pumps. Call 877-388-4440 for more information.
  • As part of its Wash'n'Save program, the City of Toronto offers residents a $60 rebate on the purchase of a water-efficient clothes washer and a rebate of up to $75 on the cost of a low-volume toilet. Visit toronto.ca/watereff for information on the city's programs.

Breathe freely

Besides energy efficiency, renovating with a green thumb and hammer means thinking about indoor air quality. “You're breathing in toxins from paint, formaldehyde off-gassing from engineered wood products, volatile organic compounds from oil paint. You need to free your house from these toxins,” says Crawford.

Even five years ago, it was hard to find products with low to no VOC content, but today you'll find them in every hardware store–without a premium price tag. “When you're buying paint, check the VOC content on the side of the can,” says Crawford. “The same is true of engineered wood for cabinets and counters. Look for products with no formaldehyde, and seal the unfinished sides–especially underneath countertops–with a water-based sealer. Or, better yet, use solid wood.”

Tinted paint will have some VOC content, so look for EcoLogo paints such as Sico, ICI and Para, which perform well and cost about the same.

Indoor air quality extends to flooring. “Although carpet is greener than it used to be, it still collects dust and debris, so it's best to have hard-surfaced floors,” says Crawford. The obvious choices are prefinished hardwood flooring or ceramic tiles. Hard floors are easy to clean and last longer than carpeting, so you may pay more up front, but you're left with a longer-lasting surface. “Stay away from engineered products, and if you're laying down ceramic tiles, use a low-toxin grout.”

Crawford also suggests using solid wood for trim and moulding–preferably certified lumber that is harvested from a sustainable forest. Various la­bels exist, such as lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which costs slightly more than other lumber.

Big-box green

In 2004, Home Depot introduced its own brand of environmentally responsible products, called Eco Options, which improve air quality, energy and water efficiency, reduce toxicity and waste, and are made from recycled materials (homedepot.ca/ecooptions). Suppliers must provide documentation that verifies the product meets Home Depot's criteria. The program covers about 1,200 products, with another 800 planned for 2008. “We don't really feel that education is a necessity–the public does this on its own–so our role is to point out the [green] products and make it easy to act,” says Nick Cowling, senior manager of communications for Home Depot Canada.

Last year, Home Depot sold more compact fluorescent light bulbs than incandescent bulbs, and products such as programmable thermostats, low-volume toilets and efficient furnaces have all become more popular over the past two years.

In 2006, the Clean Air Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing emissions and promoting indoor air quality, nominated Home Depot for a gold award based on its Eco Options line, as well as programs such as the Mow Down Pollution incentive. The latter project asked customers to replace old gas lawn mowers with more efficient, less polluting machines; to date, more than 10,000 mowers have been retired, dropping greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 200 tonnes in 2005.

Other retailers, such as Rona, Canadian Tire and Home Hardware, have also stepped up in promoting green products, including the Natura line of household cleaning products from Home Hardware (homehardware.ca). Canadian Tire has introduced a special website (canadiantirepower.ca) promoting alternative energy, on which you can learn about off-grid systems, including solar panels and wind generators. The site helps you design your own off-grid system and offers resources for finding products.

Similarly, Rona provides detailed information on ecologically minded products on its website (rona.ca), including green roofs, efficient furnaces and water treatment. You can browse by room–kitchen, office, bathroom, laundry room€for products and ways to make your home more green.

Water works

Canadians are the second-largest consumers of water in the world, using 250 l of water per person per day in their homes. The good news: conserving water is as easy as replacing your shower head with an aerator head, which reduces water consumption by more than 60 per cent, and replacing your old toilet with a low-volume version, which typically uses 80 per cent less water than a regular model.

Low-volume toilets range in price–from about $100 to $500–depending on make and model, so you can purchase one for about the same cost as a standard model. The difference: you'll lower your water and hydro bills, re­duce municipal water demands and, for those in rural areas, extend the life of your well.

Another easy way to conserve water: install an Energy Star dishwasher. According to a recent study conducted at the University of Bonn in Germany, the average handwasher uses 103 l of water and 2.5 kilowatt-hours of water-heating energy to clean 12 complete table settings, while an energy-efficient dishwasher uses 15 l of water and one to two kilowatt-hours. Wait until the machine is full before running, and let the dishes air-dry to reduce power usage further.

What it's worth

Turning green has never been easier or cheaper. As fuel prices increase and the threat of global warming continues to dominate news headlines, it makes sense, fiscally and otherwise, to consider conservation when renovating your home. Of course, nobody likes to be preached to, so educate yourself on what's worth it and what's a marketing ploy.

Crawford suggests casting a weary eye toward quick fixes and products that, upon a closer look, will prove to be a bad choice for your particular home. “A salesman will tell you that a heat-recovery ventilator is good; but, if your home is drafty, why would you want one?” he says. “If you're in doubt about the validity of a green product, call a government agency such as CMHC or Natural Resources Canada or the Office of Energy Efficiency.”

CMHC, for example, offers a free online download of its Know Your Home series, which covers 70 topics.

While the amount of green products on the market can be bewildering, sorting through the hype can be good for both your pocketbook and the planet.

Easy fixes

Going green can be as simple as replacing light bulbs. Here are a few other ways to keep it green in your home:

- Install large, south-facing windows, which provide natural light and heat from the sun.
- Wire your lighting so that individual lights can be dimmed or turned off.
- Lay down tile or hardwood in place of carpeting to raise indoor air quality.
- Use water-based latex paint instead of oil-based paint.
- Install a low-volume toilet, which uses 80 per cent less water than full-flush models.
- Install an aerator shower head, which cuts back on water usage by more than 60 per cent.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs for a 75 per cent reduction in energy costs.
- Seal gaps around electrical boxes to eliminate drafts.
- Add a restricted-flow tap to your kitchen faucet to reduce water usage by 60 per cent.
- Install skylights for natural light and heat.
- Upgrade old appliances with energy-efficient models.
- Build a compost bin in your backyard for kitchen waste.
- Store odour-producing cleaners, toiletries and garbage in sealed containers.
- Get rid of the pile of old paint cans in your basement; they pollute your air.
- Seal underneath your countertops, vanities and other exposed engineered wood.


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