Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
• Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

What is a Green Building Material?
The ideal building material should support the health and well being of occupants, construction personnel, the public, and the surrounding environment and should have no negative environmental impacts.

Green Building Materials:

• Are typically low in toxicity & materials with reduced toxin levels or nontoxic products that avoid using carcinogenic compounds and ingredients.
• Not ozone depleting (free of HCFCs and halons)
• Manufactured from a waste material (such as straw or fly ash) or a waste-reducing process
• Give off minimal emissions & low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) particularly indoors.
• Easily recyclable or reusable when no longer needed.
• To be renewable and resource efficient in its manufacture, installation, use, and removal
• Designed to conserve energy, minimize waste, and reduce green house gas emissions.
• Water efficient or conserving
• Low maintenance and require no toxic cleansers
• Minimally packaged and/or wrapped with recyclable packaging

Essential Considerations
Research is required to evaluate alternatives and select the best material for a project. Material selection ideally considers the impacts of a product throughout its life cycle, from raw material, to use, to reuse, recycling, or disposal. Areas of impact to consider at each stage in the life cycle of a material include:

• Resources: Air and Water Pollution, Hazardous and Solid Waste
• Energy required for: Extraction, Manufacturing, and Transport
• Performance in Use
• Durability
• Water: Efficiency in Manufacture and Use
• Health: Effect on Indoor Air Quality
• Exposure of Occupant, Manufacturer, or Installer to Harmful Substances
• Moisture and Mold Resistance
• Maintenance

Resources:
Oikos
Free information resources for a wide range of greener construction products

Building Hardware Publications

California Integrated Waste Management Board

Green Seal

Building Industry Associations

Scientific Certification Systems

Green Guard

Building Materials Suppliers Directory

Go Green Industry Articles