Many Paths to One GoalMany dealers and distributors publish lists of green products that they recommend, but there’s no consistency regarding how products get on those lists. Here’s a sampling, drawn from a ProSales survey. Comments are from survey participants. |
|
| Certified Green Dealer Program Anderson Lumber Co., Alcoa, Tenn. Date launched: March 2009 |
Products covered: n/a. Qualifications for inclusion: [Recommendations from] vendors, manufacturers. Product ever rejected? Not yet. Delisted? Not yet. |
| Eco Options The Home Depot, Atlanta Date launched: 2007 |
Products covered: 3,700+. Qualifications for inclusion: [From survey:] Meet certain environmental performance criteria. [From 2007 news release:] “Products with the Eco Options label are either eco friendly by definition, such as solar lights that use natural power, or have met certain environmental performance criteria verified by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent standards development and certification company.” Product ever rejected? Wouldn’t say. Delisted? Wouldn’t say. |
| enviroLink Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, Ind. Date launched: May 2008 |
Products covered: Approximately 2,000. Qualifications for inclusion: Product must do one of the following: reduce energy or water usage; be manufactured from recycled or reused materials; conserve resources; provide for a safe and healthy home; be Energy Star or WaterSense qualified. Product ever rejected? We depend upon our vendors to provide proof of a product’s qualification to our enviroLINK criteria. Delisted? n/a. |
| EnviroSmart Hayward Lumber, Monterey, Calif. Date launched: 2001 |
Products covered: “Hundreds.” Qualifications for inclusion: Independent products review. Product ever rejected? Yes. Example: In paint, having low VOC does not necessarily qualify a product. We believe that paints also need to be non-toxic and zero VOC. Delisted? Yes; specific brands of fiber cement sidings. |
| Fairfax Green Fairfax Lumber & Hardware, Fairfax, Calif. Date launched: 2006 |
Products covered: “Lots.” Qualifications for inclusion: They have to meet one or more of the following goals: increased energy efficiency; resource conservation; better indoor air quality; fewer toxins in the environment. Product ever rejected? Yes. Let’s just say that if a manufacturer claims a product is green because it is biodegradable, for instance, that doesn’t make it green to us if we discover toxic ingredients harmful to aquatic or terrestrial life. Delisted? Yes. In the beginning, we took manufacturers’ claims of green to be true at face value. We later wised up. We are ever fearful about being greenwashed. |
| GET REAL! Parr Lumber Co., Hillsboro, Ore. Date launched: November 2007 |
Products covered: 200-plus in-store items, plus several hundred lumber, door and windows [products] that also qualify. Qualifications for inclusion: FSC or SFI certification and/or manufactured using FSC certified materials; completely or partially manufactured with the use of recycled materials; contributes toward clean air or energy efficiency. Product ever rejected? If a supplier cannot provide documentation supporting the environmentally friendly claim, it is rejected. Delisted? I can’t recall specific item(s) that were posted on the site then removed but there have been items that we thought we would be able to include and later discovered the documentation wasn’t there. |
| Green eShowroom Haywood Builders Supply, Waynesville, N.C. Date launched: late 2007 |
Products covered: “Hundreds.” Qualifications for inclusion: Selected/identified/audited by a 3rd-party hired by our company. Product ever rejected? No. Delisted? n/a. |
| Henry Poor Green Initiative Henry Poor Lumber Co., Lafayette, Ind. Date launched: October 2008 |
Products covered: Eight brands. Qualifications for inclusion: Based on manufacturer’s claims and documentation of energy efficiency, [whether they] qualify for tax credits, and promote strong environmental resource management. Product ever rejected? Not yet. Delisted? No. Too early to make this type of determination. We are very aware of greenwashing. |
| Hines Green Initiative Edward Hines Lumber Co., Buffalo Grove, Ill. Date launched: December 2006 |
Products covered: 90 products, with more than 19 pending verification. Qualifications for inclusion: Third-party certification and independent testing; ask vendors for the product environmental benefits within the following categories; energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, resource efficiency and other where they can provide additional comments. Product ever rejected? No. Delisted? No. |
| (No program name) Alpine Lumber Co., Erie, Colo. Date launched: 2007 |
Products covered: 30+ Qualifications for inclusion: Recognized by Boulder Green Points or LEED rating system. Product ever rejected? No. Delisted? No. |
| (No program name) Ring?s End Lumber Co., Darien, Conn. Date launched: January 2009 |
Products covered: No products at present (program is education only). Qualifications for inclusion: We prefer to have third-party endorsement. Product ever rejected? No. That’s why we want third party certifications. Delisted? Wouldn’t say. |
| (No program name) Wilson Lumber Co., Huntsville, Ala. Date launched: 2009 |
Products covered: 100+ Qualifications for inclusion: Through vendor/manufacturer’s qualification. Product ever rejected? No. Delisted? No. |
| Parksite Green Awareness Parksite, Batavia, Ill. Date launched: 2006 |
Products covered: Eight brands. Qualifications for inclusion: Ability as stated by the manufacturer to satisfy one or more of the typical green building categories used in most rating systems. Product ever rejected? No. Green at this point is a consideration and a desired benefit but not a primary “go or no go” driver. Delisted? No. I have yet to encounter a product that has not been spun by the manufacturer as green in some way. Until more definitive guidelines are set on what constitutes a “green” product we are not going to sacrifice sales based on an opinion. |
| PureBlue BlueLinx, Atlanta Date launched: 2009 |
Products covered: Now covers more than 9,500 SKUs. Qualifications for inclusion: Third-party certification. Product ever rejected? Yes, if a product claims a green attribute but does not have a third-party certification that substantiates the claim. Delisted? Yes, if the third-party certification is dropped or lost. |
| Ridgefield Supply-Green Building Ridgefield Supply Co., Ridgefield, Conn. Date launched: January 2009 |
Products covered: Can’t say how many. Qualifications for inclusion: SCS-certified, among other sources. Product ever rejected? All products that we “suggest” are green must have third-party certification by a certifier recognized by the USGBC or NAHB. We will reject products with bogus certifications or NO certification. Delisted? Wouldn’t say. |
| TW Perry Green Building Initiative TW Perry, Gaithersburg, Md. Date launched: Fall 2008 |
Products covered: Nine product categories. Qualifications for inclusion: [We] rely on third-party auditors and in-house investigation. Product ever rejected? Wouldn’t say. Delisted? Wouldn’t say. |
Spiral Bound
What standards do dealers and distributors use to recommend green products? ProSales found stark differences. And the deeper you go into the selection process, the trickier the choices get.
14 MIN READ
Ridgefield Supply
Margaret Sims of Ridgefield (Conn.) Supply Co. has worked hard to make herself and her staff experts on green construction. But she has stopped short of creating a formal list of recommended products.
