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What is "Living
Green?"
Low-Impact Living reduces environmental and social impacts by using a product or
service or adopting a behavior that:
--Reduces Energy Use and Uses Renewable Energy: A product that uses significantly
less energy (either electricity or fossil fuel) to accomplish its task relative to
a comparable product or to an earlier version of the same product. Sustainability
ultimately requires that energy be derived from renewable resources such as solar,
wind, small-scale hydro, biomass or geothermal. Examples: energy efficient lighting,
appliances and vehicles; smart growth; telecommuting technologies and practices;
electricity produced by photovoltaic panels.
--Contains Recycled Material: A product containing materials that have been
recovered from the waste stream after consumer use (post-consumer), or a product
containing materials diverted from the waste stream of a manufacturer (pre-consumer).
Examples: recycled paper; carpet; paint; plastic wood; glue-laminated wood joists.
--Reduces Packaging: A product presented for use with less packaging or alternative
methods of packaging or shipping. Examples: products sold in bulk rather than individual
packaging; packaging which uses biodegradable materials rather than polystyrene.
--Is Less Toxic: A product containing significantly less amounts of or no
toxic substances relative to a comparable product or a product reformulated to be
less toxic. Examples: environmentally friendly cleaning products; low/no-VOC paints;
mercury-free vehicles; wood or plastic wood vs. arsenic treated wood; organic lawn
and garden products and techniques.
--Is Durable and Reusable: A product designed for long life, for a secondary
use after it's original use, or a product whose components are designed for disassembly,
reuse, rebuilding or recycling. A product refurbished to a level less than or equal
to a total remanufacture. Examples: canvas shopping bags; salvaged building materials;
rebuilt and reconditioned auto parts; electronics which allow for easy disassembly
and extended producer responsibility for recycling components.
--Conserves and Protects Water: A product that requires less water to operate,
or to manufacture than a comparable product, or a different version of the same product.
A product designed to prevent or control water pollution. Examples: water conserving
home appliances and water conserving lawn and garden care; permeable pavement and
constructed wetlands.
--Is Derived from Plants: A product derived from renewable resources, including
fiber crops; chemical extracts from oilseeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables (such as
corn and soybeans); agricultural residues; timber; wood wastes generated from processing
and manufacturing operations. These products stand in contrast to those made from
fossil fuels. Examples: bio-fuels; biological industrial lubricants; office furniture
made from plant waste; non-wood paper products.
--Is Organically Grown, Sustainably Produced: A product certified under various
national/international protocols. A product whose manufacture, the disposal of the
product and other steps in the product's life cycle are less damaging to the environment
than that of similar products. Examples: organic food; sustainable wood; sustainably
harvested fish.
--Is Locally Produced: A product produced nearby to the location of its use,
relative to the same product produced more distantly. Local and regional sources
of raw materials for the product enhance the environmental and societal benefits
of such products. Benefits include both minimizing the energy needs for transporting
goods and materials and potentially supporting local suppliers, workers, communities
and economies.
--Is Socially Responsible: A product or practice may, in addition to its lesser
environmental impacts, contribute to a more sustainable society by virtue of how
its production affects people. "Fair trade" items that pay enhanced or
living wages to producers, clothing that is not produced under sweatshop conditions,
or approaches that hire local under-employed workers are examples of socially responsible
business practices. Practices that strengthen a local economy and thereby enhance
the security and prosperity of the local community are other examples.
For more information, visit livinggreen.org |
| April 2005 |
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