How Charlotte Environmental, Inc. chooses our products and partners

Selecting supposedly green products is fairly easy. It is, however, much more difficult to select products that hold to their promise of being sustainable.

Most people agree that while some businesses engage in green marketing solely because such an emphasis will enable them to make a profit, other businesses conduct their operations in an environmentally-sensitive fashion because their owners and managers feel a responsibility to preserve the integrity of the natural environment even as they satisfy consumer needs and desires. True green marketing emphasizes environmental stewardship.

The first difficulty is to define what exactly 'green' means. What makes products 'green' does not have a clear definition. Manufacturers, stores, builders and organizations all tend to define it differently. Any attempt to define the term 'green' will highlight its inherent difficulty in doing so.

First, unlike price, quality, and other features, the environmental impacts of a product are not always apparent and may not affect the purchaser directly. Thus environmental claims are often more abstract and offer consumers the opportunity to act on their environmental concerns.

Second, unlike most advertised product attributes, environmental claims may apply to the full product life cycle, from raw material extraction to ultimate product disposal, reuse, or recycling.

On very broad terms, by our definition, the products can carry the label green:

• If they increase the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials.

• If they use environmentally sustainable products, designed, constructed and operated to minimize the total environmental impacts.

Most people think only of the process of creating a product when gauging whether a product is green. But in reality, products impact on the environment at several additional stages of their useful lives. To determine the full 'greenness' of a product would require a complete and thurough life cycle analysis. These measure the cumulative environmental impact of products over their entire life cycle — from extraction of the resources used to create the product, to all aspects of production (refining, manufacturing, and transportation), to its use (both in terms of energy or resource requirements as of its impact to health and environment), and ultimate disposal.

A good example to illustrate is 'clean coal': We associate the energy produced in coal powered electic plants as 'clean' if the emissions and the water waste created from the plant are within certain limits. We conveniently separate power production from coal mining. We never, for example, take into consideration the fact that the coal is being mined using mountaintop removal where it completely destroys the environment, that it has to be transported across long distances which creates carbon and other pollution, and that it is a non-renewable resource.

Unfortunately, this is above and beyond what Charlotte Environmental can do. However, we try to look at various aspects of the life to determine the overall benefits and, as thuroughly as we can, make overall assessments as to the total impact and use of a product. We, thus, look at a list of characteristics before we accept a product to being 'green'.

The product should NOT:

• Endanger the health of people or animals
• Damage the environment during the excavation of its raw materials
• Damage the environment at any stage of its life, including manufacture, use, and disposal
• Consume a disproportionate amount of energy and other resources during manufacture, shipment, use, or disposal
• Cause unnecessary waste, either as a result of excessive packaging or a short useful life
• Use materials derived from threatened species or environments

This means that it is not sufficient to merely look at the stated benefit and assume that it meets a green proclamation made by the manufacturer. For example, a bamboo floor seems like an environmentally sound choice because bamboo is a fast growing, sustainable product. But the benefit disappears if the bamboo was harvested at a farm created by destroying valuable forestry or uses glue rich with formaldehyde.

Energy consumption is another benefit that can be difficult to quantify. The most common approach is to measure it solely in terms of immediate energy savings. But energy is also used in the production process and transportation of the product. Is the product that is 10% more efficient during its final use truly green if its production produces tons of CO2 gases, requires large amounts of valuable water, the excavation of precious resources and, because it is produced half way around the world, would require more fossil fuels and carbon to ship to its final destination than it supposedly saves over its life time?

These are the questions we ask before we bring any product to our customers. We analyze the product and its benefits, we analyze the natural resources it consumes, we analyze the product versus its competitors or alternate products, and we analyze the company and the production.

Whether or not we include a product in our selection remains a subjective selection, but we make an overall assessment based on all the stages in the product's life and its overall impact on the environment.

Building green can be achieved by reducing energy consumption, conserving water, recycling waste, employing sustainable products and creating a healthy living environment. Well designed green buildings will save money, increase comfort and create healthier environments for people to live and work.

In the end, however, the greenest product is of no use if it is poorly designed and of poor quality. So we also ensure that the product is among the top quality products in its category. Some can be found on the Consumer Reports top scoring list. So each of our products is not only analyzed for its green qualities, but also its product qualities.

So, why did we choose certain products or companies?

		Water Conservation
		Sustainable Products
		Energy Efficiency
		Efficient Home
		Healthy Living

Water Conservation.
Fresh water is one of our most valued resources. Fortunately, we don't need a lot of high-tech to conserve water - but technology can certainly help. Water conservation was an important category because water will become a more precious resource as an ever-growing population requires more and more fresh water and more families want to tend to their green manicured lawns.

- Dual flush toilets
These were a logical choice to include in our product offerings. Dual flush toilets reduce the amount of water used without any additional energy or components. We all need toilets and the production is the same for any toilet. In the end, we chose to offer Caroma products because the best toilets are defined by their design and their flush capabilities - and Caroma was undoubtedly the best.

- Low flow showerheads
- Aerators
Including these in our product selection was another easy choice. No further input of energy or components are required in the production, and users realize an immediate reduction in water consumption. Oxygenics is our preferred partner in this category because of its unique design to induce air and maintain a consistent sensation of water pressure.

- Grey water systems
These systems use the same water twice by reusing the bath and shower water to flush the toilet. It is slightly more difficult to determine the sustainability of these products because they are an additional system for the house and require additional production, raw materials, transportation, and piping. However, because of the scarcity of water - especially in the southern regions of the United States - it is in our opinion a worthwhile trade-off.

Future products may include water filtration and rain water harvesting systems.

 

Sustainable Products and Building Materials
This category was also fairly easy, mainly due to the great companies that offered the choices. The products in this category often result in a changed environment: disappearing forests or mountains, a landscape that turns into a waste land. Good products need to ensure that they use either recycled materials or take great care in harvesting new materials in order to maintain the environment.

- Bamboo and
- Hardwood Flooring
Wood floors are durable and beautiful - but they are part of the reason the Amazon is disappearing in large chunks, and other wooded areas and forests have turned into barren lands. EcoTimber takes a different approach and is one of the very few flooring manufacturers that actually achieves FCS certification - the most stringent and controlled certification - on all products, meaning that the wood that is installed in your home or office is guaranteed to come from and can be traced back to well-managed forests that do not clear-cut areas. Bamboo floors are created from a rapidly growing plant that can be harvested 6 to 7 years after planting. In addition, its floors are made using formaldehyde free glue, leading to better air quality in the house. Best of all, the floors are manufactued in the US reducing the carbon footprint produced by transportation.

- Tile
Tile production not only uses valuable natural resources, but it also destroys the landscape where the natural resources are harvested. Terragreen Ceramics uses at least 30% recycled materials and thus cuts down on new resource needs. Furthermore, tile is often produced abroad requiring shipping. Terragreen Ceramics are produced in New Jersey resulting in valuable American jobs.

- Carpet
Carpet is mostly made of synthetic materials and held together with formaldehyde rich glue. Woolshire is 100% wool which is a natural, re-growing product that does not scar the environment when harvested. Woolshire also uses a formaldehyde free glue leading to a better air quality. And because that was not enought to convince us, Woolshire has just annouced a backing made of 100% recycled material that does not require an underlayment. ...And did we mention the valuable American jobs? - Woolshire is produced in Georgia. Woolshire was the clear winner in our eyes.

 

Future products could include countertops from recycled materials or cabinets from recycled wood or clay tiles.

 

Energy Efficiency:
Energy needs in the United States are growing fast - faster than we can produce new powerplants. The typical powerplants being built or planned are either 'clean coal', in and of itself a misnomer since coal cannot be clean, and nuclear, a national security risk as well as a polution issue with the nuclear waste. There are two approaches that can be taken: one is to reduce the need for energy by being more diligent or through conservation, the other is to produce part of the energy needed.

- Solar Hot Water
Solar Hot Water was an easy decision. That the most environmentally sound solution to heating the water would be to using the sun should be no news - even Hawaii has mandated that every new home requires a solar hot water system as early as 2010. This will add to our nations energy independence from fossil fules and make our lives healthier and safer.

However, it is a costly system that not every person may be able to afford. It also requires professional installation. After reviewing several companies we teamed up with SunStore Solar because of their approach to solar products, their product selection, and their experience.

- Compact Fluorescent and LED Light Bulbs (CLF'c)
A lot of controversy has been generated around CFL's because of the mercury they contain. MaxLite CFL light bulbs are among the 7 brands that EWG has found to contain the least amount of mercury. Also, while one should be cautious, one MaxLite CFL contains hundreds of times less mercury than is found in a single dental amalgam filling or old-style glass thermometer, and if recycled or disposed of correctly the risk can be minimized. That said, precaution should be taken when a light bulb does break - especially small children and pregnant women. Consider retruning burnt light bulbs to Charlotte Environmental. We will dispose of them in proper way.

A CFL saves around 70% of the electicity and even more (about 90%) if you factor in the loss of electricity in transmission. CFL's also don;t produce the heat regular incandescent light bulbs do and the white light vs the warm white brightness are perfect for reading.

We chose MaxLite because of their low mercury content, their instant on and flicker free product attributes and because they offer a great selection of CFL and LED lightbulbs in every shape and size and for any purpose at a very good quality.

- Energy Monitors
Energy Monitors don't save electricity themselves, or save natural resources. However, they can help in identifying the culprits in the household that cause the high energy bills and allow us to change our habits or replace the power hogs with more efficient systems. Thus, energy monitors are valuable aids in reducing our energy needs.

- Programmable Thermostats
Programmable Thermostats may not be the most obvious green products. However, they can greatly reduce the need for excessive heating and cooling if nobody is at home (during school and work hours) or at night when all are snuggled up under blankets. Set the night time to 10 degrees higher or lower than during the day time and cut down on cooling and heating. The cost saved and the reduced hesating and cooling greatly efect the carbon footprint and the need for natural gas and electicity.

- Photovoltaic Systems (Solar Power)
Produce your own, clean energy. Photovoltaic uses the sun - the most abundant resource, cheap, non regulated, clean, safe. There is no image that shouts green and clean more than photovoltaic sun panels. Yes, the production of the system leaves quite the carbon footprint. But this is only during the production of the product. Once installed, it is cleaner than any other energy production imaginable and over the life span of the panels is far better than coal, nuclear or other energy sources.

Future products could include radiant floor heating or airtap heat pump.

 

Efficient Home
Attempting to save energy while you have a house that leaks or have items that are highly inefficient is a futile excersise. The house needs to be seen as a homogenous entity. To make sense, all components of the house have to work in concert. Putting in an efficient HVAC system, for example, while having leaky windows or an attic that heats up to more than 160 degrees in the summer is not an efficient way to spend your money. Putting in light fixtures - even if you use CFL's - in order to light a dark part of the house while you could put in a natural light solar tube is still a waste of energy.

- Tankless and
- Efficient Hot Water systems
A hot water heater is a must in every home. Unfortunately, solar hot water systems may not be affordable by everyone. Yet, there are still other good choices that greatly improve the efficiency of the standard hot water heater and therefore save on your hot water bills: Tankless (or on-demand) hot water systems or efficient hot water systems. AO Smith produces a series of very good and very efficient hot water systems and has been the market innovator for many decades. The Conservationist series is a highly efficient system that rates at above 95% efficiency vs less than 80% for the standard system.

- Energy efficient windows
Windows are the main cause for energy losses in the house. Poorly designed and fitted windows can lead to a high heating and cooling bill. Investing in good windows can save $1000 per year on energy cost. While considering the efficiency ratings for wood and vinyl windows, it needs to be kept in mind that these may fit well in the first few years but warp with the constant changes in temperature and loose their efficiencies over time. We found a manufacturer of aluminum windows located in Canada: Fibertec. These are the Mercedes Benz of Windows: While they are full aluminum inside, they can have the appearance of wood windows. and the advantage of aluminum: they never warp and will have the same efficiency ratings after 20 years. A further bonus: they don't have to be painted and re-cauced periodically, saving money long-term.

- Solar light tubes
If you need to brighten a dark room in the house, there is no better way than with natural sun light. It is the most energy efficient method. Solar light tubes act like ceiling lights, but reflect the sun light to where it is needed.

- Solar attic fans
Attic space can heat up to above 160 degrees in the summer effecting the temperature in the entire house and causing you to spend additional energy trying to cool your house. Unlike regular fans, solar attic fans use no electricity since they are 100% powered by the sun. These fans can reduce the temperature by 30 to 40 deegrees resulting in measurable cost savings.

- Natural Cotton Insulation
The shortcomings of the standard fiberglass insulation are many. Not only is the fiberglass an irritant that can cause health issues when inhaled, but it is also a manmade, non-recycled material. Welcome cotton. UltraTouch is made from 85% post-industrial material. It is also made from cotton which itself is a fast growing, sustainable product. This particular product contains no chemical irritants and requires no warning labels compared to other traditional products. There are no VOC concerns when using UltraTouch. Boron is applied to the cotton to make it non-toxic fire and pest resistant as well as mold resistant. Another, secondary, benefit to fiberglass is in the production process: because fiberglass requires a much higher energy input to produce, the cotton insulation aids the environment with energy conservation and reduction in pollution with a more efficient production process.

Healthy Living

- Air purification
The air quality inside a typical home has been proven to be worse than the poluted air outside. This can be linked to common deseases like asthma, common colds, allergies, etc. Improving the air quality can not only help in keeping everyone healthier, but it can also make life easier for those that already suffer from allergies, asthma, etc. The swiss company IQAir, whos products are used in hospitals around the world, is the leader in air purification systems. These systems are many 100times more effective than the typical system, such as the popular ionizer, found at Sharper Image or Brooks Brothers.

- Ecological household cleaners and detergents
Household detergents and cleaners clean our house, but they leave a toxic mess behind by poluting our streams, rivers, seas and groundwater. Using ecological cleaners is important to safeguard our environement and to reducing toxic chemicals in our immediate and further surroundings.

Possible future products: VOC free paint