|
| Environmental Attributes/Considerations and Symbols Used in this Guide |
| Symbols Used in this Guide: This chart contains a discussion of environmental attributes and considerations. Symbols have been assigned to most of these topics. The symbols are used throughout this guide to help you quickly identify the most accepted environmental and health issues related to a particular product. These symbols also help identify the advantages that environmentally preferable products offer compared to similar products. [13],[14] |
| Note: Some of the text and information in this chart was borrowed from the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board of Minnesota [15] and the State of Washington. [16] |
Less Hazardous |
Avoiding hazardous products improves workers' safety, reduces pollution and regulatory liability, and lowers disposal costs. [17] Typical hazardous substances are toxic, corrosive, irritants, strong sensitizers, or are flammable or combustible. [18]
Avoid products labeled with the following signal words:
- Caution: mild to moderate hazard
- Warning: moderate hazard
- Danger: corrosive, extremely flammable, or highly toxic
- Poison: highly toxic
If a non-hazardous alternative is not available, choose the least hazardous product; follow the directions on the label; use the least amount possible needed to accomplish each task; use up all of the product; and dispose of the container properly.
Avoid products that require the use of hazardous substances for their maintenance.
|
Conserves Energy |
In 2000, each person in California used about 7,178 kilowatt-hours of electricity. [20] Reducing energy use is a simple and effective way to save money, keep our air clean, protect the environment, and combat global warming. Many forms of energy production have negative effects on human health and the environment, such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain, habitat degradation, and toxic spills and releases.
- Look for products that have low embodied energy (the energy that goes into producing a product) and do not require energy to operate, or if they do, they use energy efficiently.
- Look for the federal government's Energy Star label that helps buyers identify energy-efficient products.
- Visit California's Flex Your Power Web site for energy-saving tips.
- California has appliance efficiency regulations.
|
Recycled Content |
Buying recycled-content products (RCP) creates demand for recyclables from local collection programs; reduces waste going to landfills; creates jobs; and conserves natural resources. In addition, many RCPs take less energy to produce than their virgin counterparts.
Total recycled content = postconsumer content + secondary content.
Postconsumer material comes from products that are used by consumers and then recycled; therefore, using postconsumer material directly supports the recycling programs of local jurisdictions. Secondary material consists of fragments of finished products or finished products of manufacturing processes, and this material is recycled before it reaches consumers.
Use State contracts, California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) contracts, and the Recycled-Content Product Directory to find products that meet or exceed the State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign's minimum content requirements, and those that contain the highest amount of postconsumer material.
In addition, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) sets recycled-content levels for a variety of products through its Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines program. If a federal, state, or local agency (or its contractors), spends more than $10,000 a year on a US EPA-designated item, and part of that money is from appropriated federal funds, then that item must be a recycled product. [21]
|
Prevents Waste |
Californians dispose of tens of millions of tons of waste each year. [22] Much of this waste comes from disposable and over-packaged products.
Preventing waste ("Waste prevention" is also known as "source reduction.") can conserve natural resources and save landfill space. You prevent waste when you:
- Reduce the amount of material you buy to accomplish any task;
- Reuse a product in its original form; or
- Use repairable, refillable, or durable products.
Look for products that either weigh less as compared to alternatives that perform the same function, or otherwise result in less materials that must be managed, while being reusable or recyclable, without additional toxic or hazardous substances, and with better or equal durability, easy maintenance, and good performance. Good product design is at the heart of source reduction.
|
Air Quality |
Reducing air emissions - both outdoors and indoors - is a primary concern for all Californians. According to the California Air Resources Board, "despite significant success in reducing overall pollution levels, air pollution continues to be an important public health problem. Air monitoring shows that over 90 percent of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of one or more air pollutants during some part of the year." [23]
Sources of outdoor air pollution include fuel-burning motor vehicles and equipment, windblown dust from roadways, agriculture, and construction; industrial processes, pesticides, fireplaces, woodstoves, and businesses, such as dry cleaners and service stations. [24]
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Sources of indoor air pollution include heaters, fireplaces, chimneys, wood and gas stoves, consumer products, such as those used for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, and hobbies; biological contaminants, radon, tobacco smoke, furniture, and building materials and products. [25]
"Americans spend on average more than 80 to 90 percent of their time indoors. Over the past decade, concerns over indoor air quality have been well documented, along with effective solutions. Indoor pollutants can cause building occupants to experience acute discomfort and negative health effects, such as respiratory irritation, headaches, fatigue, etc. Some substances, like radon and carbon monoxide, can pose fatal risks … enhanced IAQ potentially averts serious health issues and can save enormous sums of money required to treat them. In commercial environments, improving IAQ has been shown to increase worker productivity by up to 16 percent. Because labor accounts for up to 92 percent of the life-cycle building costs (far outweighing energy), the value of increased worker productivity can be significant. Furthermore, occupant satisfaction and healthfulness represent important, though difficult to measure, benefits of improved IAQ." [26]
Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Choosing products with low or no VOCs reduces indoor air quality hazards for employees. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors than outdoors. [27] VOCs are carbon-containing compounds that evaporate into the air (with a few exceptions). They contribute to the formation of smog and/or may themselves be toxic. [28] Adverse health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. [29]
VOCs often have an odor, and sources of VOCs include paints, cleaning products, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment, such as copiers and printers; correction fluids, carbonless copy paper, adhesives, and permanent markers. [30] Low-VOC versions of many of these products are readily available.
- Learn more about indoor air quality from the California Air Resources Board.
- Look for products that emit zero or low amounts of volatile organic compounds.
- Look for products that conserve energy, since burning fossil fuels produces air pollution.
|
Conserves Water |
Selecting products and services that conserve water can reduce sewer and water bills. In addition, efficient water use reduces the need for expensive water supply and wastewater treatment facilities, helps maintain healthy aquatic and riparian environments, and reduces the energy needed to pump, treat, and heat water. [35] Water is used in the manufacture of products, during a product's use, and in cleaning. Consequently, water efficiency and pollution prevention can occur in several product life cycle stages.
- Less than one percent of the Earth's water is readily available for human use.
- Each person in California uses about 200 gallons (includes indoor and outdoor use) of water per day. [36],[37]
|
End-of-Life Management |
When selecting a product, consider what will happen to it at the end of its useful life. Can it be recycled easily? Does the manufacturer have a take-back program? Does it require special disposal because it contains hazardous chemicals? A product with a lower purchase price may cost more in the long run because of higher disposal, health, and safety costs.
|
Waste/Materials Management |
Californians dispose of tens of millions of tons of waste each year. [38] As we strive to be a zero waste state, we must manage this waste by first preventing waste whenever possible and managing all "waste" materials to their highest and best use.
The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (Public Resources Code section 40050 et seq.), also known as Assembly Bill (AB) 939, established a 50 percent waste diversion (diversion from landfills) goal for local government based on an integrated waste management hierarchy that prioritized waste prevention and recycling over all other options. It also enhanced public outreach programs and environmental education curricula and improved landfill safety requirements and protection for public health and the environment. [40]
AB 75 (Strom-Martin), Statutes of 1999, Chapter 764, requires each State agency and large State facility to meet a 50 percent diversion goal, also.
Effective materials management keeps waste out of landfills and prevents the impacts associated with the extraction of raw materials. Extending the life of landfills reduces the pace at which new ones must be sited, along with the very significant costs associated with siting landfills and long term maintenance and operations, closure, and monitoring.
|
Material Availability |
Ultimately, everything that we use comes from the Earth. Any time we reduce the extraction of natural resources - by cutting down fewer trees, mining fewer minerals, or pumping less oil from the ground - we may reduce our impact on the environment and human health, and save resources for future generations. We can use our material resources more efficiently through source reduction, using less virgin material, applying material-efficient product design, reducing waste during manufacturing, and using materials that have been diverted from the waste stream to manufacture new products.
|
Global Warming |
In the United States, most of the greenhouse gas emissions (about 82%) are from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and power our cars. [41]
Increased human emissions of greenhouse gases are accelerating global warming, and California is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Increased temperatures threaten to greatly reduce the Sierra snowpack, one of the State's primary sources of water. Increased temperatures also threaten to further exacerbate California's air quality problems and adversely impact human health by increasing heat stress and related deaths, the incidence of infectious disease, and the risk of asthma, respiratory and other health problems. Rising sea levels threaten California's 1,100 miles of valuable coastal natural habitats and real estate. The combined effects of an increase in temperatures and diminished water supply and quality threaten to alter micro-climates within the state, affect the abundance and distribution of pests and pathogens, and result in variations in crop quality and yield. [42]
Find out how you can help prevent global warming at the following Web sites:
|
Responsible Manufacturers |
Consider products provided by manufacturers that demonstrate commitment to environmental protection and improvement by any or all of the following:
Environmental Policy
The manufacturer has a written environmental policy that is consistent with requirements in the voluntary ISO 14001 International Standard on Environmental Management Systems (EMS), including a stated commitment to comply with environmental legislation and regulations as well as a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution.
Environmental Management System
The product manufacturer certifies that all its manufacturing facilities have third-party registered ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.
Corporate Reporting Based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The product manufacturer produces an annual public report that includes, but is not limited to, elements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Guidelines.
State of California Environmental Awards
The product manufacturer or supplier has been recognized in California for their environmental practices as a recipient of the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award Program and/or recognized through the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program.
|
|
