Environmental Building News has announced its list of top 10 green products of 2002. The list includes the following five products that should be of immediate interest to homeowners as well as anyone who is following the rapid emergence of products that will satisfy green criteria in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
1. FSC-Certified Tuff-Strand Oriented Strand Board (OSB) from the Roy O. Martin Lumber Company
The first OSB product to be certified according to standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council. To receive this certification, the company had to go through an extensive third-party review of its forestry practices on timberlands in Louisiana. OSB can be used for panels and other products typically made from plywood. (800) 299-5174.
2. WoodStalk Fiberboard and Underlayment from Dow BioProducts
Made from wheat straw, a waste agricultural product, this fiberboard is available in various thicknesses for use in cabinets, shelving, furniture, and underlayment. Formaldehyde is not used in its manufacture. When WoodStalk is used in place of Lauan plywood as a resilient flooring underlayment, the world’s rainforests are protected. (979) 238-5329.
3. Fiberglass Insulation from the Johns Manville Company
In early 2002, the Johns Manville Company modified its manufacturing process for fiberglass insulation to eliminate the industry-standard phenol-formaldehyde binder that is used to hold the glass fibers together. The reformulated fiberglass uses an acrylic binder. The product also contains the highest guaranteed post-consumer recycled content of any fiberglass insulation (18 percent), with a guaranteed total recycled content of 25 percent. (800) 654-3103.
4. Pittsburgh Paints Pure Performance from PPG Architectural Finishes
The latest zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) interior paint product to enter the market is also the first paint to be certified under a new Green Seal standard. While most conventional low-VOC paints use acrylic or vinyl acetate resins, Pure Performance uses a newer vinyl acetate ethylene resin, which achieves the environmental benefits of a zero-VOC paint without a price premium or performance sacrifice. (800) 441-9695.
5. L.I.F.T. Foundation System from Pin Foundations
This foundation system can be installed with almost no excavation. Sections of foundation wall are poured aboveground and “pinned” into the ground using heavy duty steel pins that extend deep enough to support the structure and prevent uplift. The L.I.F.T. system is already in use on a limited basis in the Pacific Northwest, including in a Habitat for Humanity home.(253) 858-8809.
