How Do I Know it’s Really Green?

By Vestina F. Crayton, Extension Education Instructor, Urban Sustainability

With so many products claiming to be “green”, how does the responsible consumer identify a product that is really green or an environmentally preferable product? It’s simple. Look for the products that have been certified by a third-party. Before we discuss what a third party is and its role, let’s define, in general, what the first and second parties are with green products. The first party is the company, ZZZ Green Product, which creates the product. Any claims that ZZZ Green Products may make that their products are green could be considered biased. The second party can be a consultant that has been hired by ZZZ Green Products to evaluate the product using the guidelines developed by a supporting professional organization. Sometimes these guidelines are too general and may not be very stringent. A third-party is an independent organization that conducts rigorous research, testing, evaluation and verification on a company’s products and services compliance that meet with nationally or internationally legal standards and requirements.

In response to the desire of governments, businesses, non-profits, and society as a whole to live and be more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable, there are a growing number of third party certification programs available. The following are non-profit nationally recognized third-party certification programs:

GREENGUARD
GREENGUARD certifies and identifies those products and materials that have low-emitting and non-toxic properties. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines indoor environmental quality (IEQ) as ‘the quality of the air and environment inside buildings, based on pollutant concentrations and conditions that can affect the health, comfort and performance of occupants -- including temperature, relative humidity, light, sound and other factors.’ The release of chemicals into the atmosphere, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can compromise indoor environmental quality. Research shows that most people spend 90% of their time indoors.

Green Seal
Green Seal collaborates with industry professionals to ensure responsible management and compliance in all aspects of the life cycle of a product such as the source of material extraction, manufacturing, operation, disposal, and reuse.


Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
This international organization accredits third-party programs that certify environmentally responsible forest product management and production. As an accrediting organization this allows FSC to maintain an independent position between the third-party standards and the operations pursuing certification.




Scientific Certifications Systems
Since 1984, this group offers certifications, audits, and testing for high level performance in environmental protection, social accountability, food safety and quality for both public and private entities.



Greener Choices – Consumer Reports Ecolabels
This program provides an interactive Web-based tool for consumers to research the green rating on appliances, cars, electronics, food and beverages, home and garden products. Eco-label.org was developed by Environmental Health Specialist, Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D.

Eco-labelling.org
This global Web-based resource contains 300 labels of recognized certifiers. This group provides in- depth information on each certifying program. This user-friendly tool allows the consumer to browse products and services by region and type.

Sustainable Forestry Initiatives (SFI)
This initiative utilizes a best management approach by training their loggers and developing outreach programs for the forestry landowners. SFI provides the following two types of label identification: 100% Certified Content Label which indicates that 100% of the raw material contained in the product has been certified by SFI or the Canadian Standard Association’s Standard (http://www.csa.ca/) and X% Certified Content Label which indicates that a percentage of the raw material contained in the product has been certified by the previously mentioned organizations.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Label
In October 2002, the USDA National Organic Program developed a set of guidelines to certify the percentage of organic ingredients present in food. For single foods such as fruits and vegetables, look for the label on the food or on the signage in the area the food is stocked. For multi-ingredient foods such as snacks and beverages, look for the label on the packaging. In multi-ingredient foods the following classifications are used: 100% organic, organic (95-99% by weight), made with organic ingredients (70-94% by weight) and other (less than 70% by weight). Only the 100% - 95% will contain the USDA Organic Label.

Although this is just a sampling of the many independent programs, it gives you a brief look at the resources that are available to assist you with identifying the authenticity of an environmentally preferable, green or sustainable product. Purchasing products that carry the label from these organizations, will give the consumer the confidence that the product or service has been evaluated, tested, and researched to ensure that it was produced in the most environmentally responsible manner. Always remember that the manufacturer or vendor of a product should be able to produce documentation to verify that their product is truly green.

References

GREENGUARD (http://www.greenguard.org/Default.aspx?tabid=22)
Green Seal (http://www.greenseal.org/about/whatwedo.cfm)
Forest Stewardship Council (http://www.fsc.org/)
Scientific Certifications Systems (http://www.scscertified.com/)
Greener Choices – Consumer Reports Eco (www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels)
Eco-labelling.org (http://www.ecolabelling.org/)
Sustainable Forestry Initiatives (http://www.sfi.org/)
Canadian Standard Association’s Standard (http://www.csa.ca/)
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Label
What does the organic label really mean? www.ces.ncsu.edu/successfulfamily/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness/organlab.htm
USDA National Organic Program (http://www.ams.usda.gov/)
Thinking Green (May/June 2008) An Introduction to Third –Party Certification and Ecolabeling ASID ICON, Fluid Environments, Gainesville FL

Make Your Yard as Green as It Can Be

By James Stevenson
Extension Educator

Here at Pinellas County Extension, our departments work together to teach sustainability; that is, ensuring that we enjoy a quality of life that will be available to future generations. Perhaps you would like to “green” your life. How about using the New Year to make changes to your landscaping practices? By the end of 2008, you may find yourself with a few more dollars, a garden of beautiful flowers and a happy family.

Sound too good to be true? Consider these 10 tips for a greener, cheaper, 2008.

1. Plant A Tree – I remember planting a tree with my father when I was a little boy. We’ve watched the tree grow over the years, and it now shades my parents’ house while providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. The shade from a tree planted on the west side of a building can help cut air conditioning use. Call us for a list of trees that will fit nicely into your landscape.

2. Add Drought-Tolerant Native or Non-Invasive Exotic Plants – Unless you live on a waterway, plant selection for Florida yards are best made with drought-tolerance in mind. Many plants that have evolved in dry, sandy soil make wonderful garden additions. Call us or come by for a list of drought-tolerant plants for Florida gardens.


3. Service Your Lawn Mower – Make sure your lawn mower is in tip-top working order. The price of gasoline does not show any signs of lowering, so we must make sure our gas-powered engines are running as efficiently as possible


4. Reduce Lawn Area – You may decide to give up on the whole lawn idea. Think about the cost of irrigation, lawn mowing, fertilizer and pesticide which is spent on growing grass which is cut, bagged and thrown away (at a cost!). Consider converting your yard into a series of beds featuring flowers, shrubs, trees and even vegetables and herbs.


5. Convert To, or Install Low-Flow Irrigation – If you must irrigate, choose low-flow irrigation systems. These are cheap and easy to install and put the water right where the plants need it (not in the street or driveway!).


6. Install a Rain-Barrel – One way to save money on watering potted plants is to use what is free – rain. This spring we will be offering a rain barrel workshop where you can learn to connect clean, 55 gallon food containers to your down-spout to collect rain that falls on the roof.


7. Get The Family Involved – Get them up from in front of the TV and spend some quality time doing light chores outside. There will be plenty of interesting discoveries to be made; bugs, flowers, butterflies, everyone will be so enthralled they won’t notice they are working!




8. Grow Your Own Herbs And a Few Vegetables – Growing your own herbs is easy and rewarding. Once you start, you will never shell-out $2 for a small bag of basil that has been imported from South America and tastes of plastic. Growing a few vegetables only costs pennies for a packet of seeds, and is a great way to get kids interested in gardening (AND eating vegetables!).


9. Compost – Putting vegetable scraps into the garbage disposal grinds them to slurry that will end up in the Gulf. And you pay to send it there! Try backyard composting of vegetable and fruit scraps, yard clippings, leaves and coffee grounds. Once rotted-down this rich organic material makes wonderful, moisture-conserving mulch.


10. Sick Plant? Call Us First – Our Extension educators are ready to take your call about any garden-related question you may have at the Extension Service’s Horticulture Help Line at 727-582-2110. Most people call when they have a sick plant. As we have nothing to sell, we have no need to try and foist some chemical off on you which you may not even need. Our advice may be as simple to follow as “you may wish to reduce the amount you are watering” or “sounds like you are using the wrong type of fertilizer.” Our unbiased advice comes from the many years of horticultural experience and the latest research from the University of Florida. Our Educators are available Monday through Friday from 9:00am- noon and 1:00-4:00pm .