Or is it? There is a lot in the news lately about whether this whole Green Movement is based on a hoax or not.  My take on that as far as Green Building goes is, “What does it matter?”  Sustainable development makes sense all the time, not just because it’s a fad or that its popularity has resulted from government policies and concern about Climate Change.

Building more energy efficient housing saves consumers money through lower utility bills and extends existing energy supplies.  Using re-manufactured products or products from forests with sustainable replenishment policies also extends the life of valuable resources.

Reducing product waste helps extend the life of existing landfills in population centers with growing communities.

So building Green saves money, is smart and contrary to what Kermit says, “It is easy being Green”

Blog Written by:Wesley Scott
wes@archwaysandceilings.com
www.archwaysandceilings.com

photo: Brian Teutsch

My aunt recently re-modeled her house and wanted to use products that were low VOC, or NO VOC due to her allergies and asthma. When it came to paint we did research and found that Pittsburgh paints (a division of PPG coatings) have products that fit her needs. After looking at PPG we found out that they also use green practices at their production facilities, which means they do not just sell the products, but that they are also doing their part to be responsible.

To achieve its goals of being both a fiscally sound and environmentally responsible firm, PPG has re-engineered many of the manufacturing processes at its paint facilities to minimize energy consumption, improve air and water quality and cut waste. These initiatives include…

1) Each paint manufacturing plant has an active recycling process that includes the re-use of wash water from the production process, the re-work of obsolete inventory, and the recycling of raw material containers and packaging. Other packaging goods — such as plastic and stretch films, super-sacs, cardboard and pallets — are recycled or recovered by suppliers, secondary users, scrap dealers or through third-party contracts.

(2) In 2008, PPG was the first national paint supplier to initiate a recovery program for five-gallon plastic pails used for water-based products. Empty and dry pails are returned to company-owned stores, consolidated and sent to distribution centers for shredding and recycling. In addition to its environmental benefits, this program reduces customer costs by eliminating the need to pay for empty-pail disposa

(3) All gallon pails used for latex products are made from 100 percent recycled polypropylene, and are 100 percent recyclable.

If your goal is to “build green”, be it through meeting local or national VOC regulations, qualifying for LEED points, or consciously attempting to minimize the overall environmental footprint of your building, PPG can help. From residential to commercial to new home construction, PPG’s Pittsburgh and Porter Paints can supply every type of project with a “green” product solution. We offer products that meet the most stringent environmental standards which require either zero or low VOC coatings while delivering the performance you’ve come to expect.

Simply look for the following logo when trying to identify which PPG paint products are considered green and can help earn LEED credits.

Photo credit: Resinart

ResinArt has manufactured flexible mouldings for over 40 years, becoming the largest manufacturer and industry leader in quality and delivery. ResinArt recently introduced a newly formulated product that is LEED compliant and meets qualifications for green building certification programs. Listed below are a few new reasons to specify BMC’s DuraFlex by ResinArt.

• Zero VOC emissions – certified to meet or exceed US EPA standards
• 100% Mercury free – compliant with US EPA initiative QPPT-2005-0013
• Formulated to work with environmentally friendly water-based paints and stains
• Available in 100′s of stock and custom trim profiles

For more information you can read up on LEED compliance, specifications, and finish recommendations.  BMC West and ResinArt are happy to provide another superior product for the evolving building industry.