Environmental Materials

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Environmental Materials Products

• So Why Should I Care ?

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Using Recycled or Environmental Products Is Not
Important Right ?

• After all, No One is Really Asking For Them ,
  They Costs More and Dont Look as Good As New
  Stuff

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What We Waste

• 28 Billion Pounds Of Glass goes to Landfill
• 39 Million Newspapers go to landfill Each Day-
  500,000 trees
• We use 2 ½ million plastic bottles an hour
• We recycle about 10 of our waste
• Europe recycles about 65

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Specified Any Poison Lately ?

• Well, Lets See

Victor Yushchenko
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Definitions

• Bio Accumulative The chemical accumulates in
  the tissues
• Mutagens the chemical causes mutation of the
  Cell Structure
• Carcenogen The Chemical Causes Cancer
• Teratogen The Chemical is Passed from mother to
  Child in Vitro, or Breast milk.
• Sulfonamides- Inhibits the Action of a Plant
  Enzyme, stopping plant growth. ( Found in Some
  Textile Dyes)

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Formaldehyde

• Irritation of eyes , Nose and Throat
• HHS has determined that formaldehyde may
  reasonably be considered a human carcenogen

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Where is Formaldehyde Used ?

• Glues and Adhesives
• Binder for Fiberglass Mineral Fiber
• Binder for Particleboard and Plywood

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Substitutes for Formaldehyde

• MDI Methylene Biphenyl Isocyanate Once Cured
  VERY Stable
• Lignum Natural Binder Present in Fiber
• PTP Plant Based Polymer Triglycerides

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Lead

• Lead Does NOT break down in the environment.
• Lead is a Teratogen
• Lead can damage the Nervous System, Kidneys,
  Reproductive System
• HHS has determined that may be reasonably
  anticipated as a carcinogin.

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Where Do We Find Lead ?

• Production of PVC

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Mercury

• Mercury is a Teratogen
• Mercury is a Bio Accumulative
• May Damage Brain or Kidneys
• In Children Mental retardation, blindness,
  seizures, Inability to Speak

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Where Do We Find Mercury

• Fluorescent Light Bulbs
• In Certain Fabric Dyes

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Benzene

• Breathing causes drowsiness, dizziness,
  unconsciousness
• Long term exposure can cause anemia, leukemia.
• Benzene is a known carcinogen

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Where Do We Find Benzene ?

• Glues
• Paints
• Furniture Wax

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Cadmium

• Damages the Lungs
• Can Cause Kidney Disease
• Irritation of Digestive Track
• It Does Not Break Down in the Environment
• It is a Bio Accumulative

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Where Do We Find Cadmium ?

• Pigments
• Fabric Dyes
• Metal Coatings
• Plastics
• PVC Production

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Trichloroethylene

• Drinking or Breathing may cause Nervous System
  Effects.
• Liver and Lung Damage
• Abnormal Heart Beat , Coma

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Where do We Find Trichloroethylene

• Solvent for Grease Removal From Metal Parts
• Adhesives

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Styrene

• Breathing Styrene is most likely to effect the
  Nervous system.
• Depression
• Lack of Concentration
• Possible Eye, Nose Throat Irritation
• HHS has determined that Styrene is possibly
  carcenogenic.

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Where Do We Find Styrene ?

• Rubber
• Plastic
• Insulation
• Fiberglass

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Chromium VI

• Nasal Damage
• Ulcers
• Kidney Liver Damage
• A Known Carcenogen

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Where Do We Find Chromium VI

• Chrome Plating
• Fabric Dyes and Pigments
• Leather Tanning
• Wood Preservatives

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PVC Polyvinyl Chloride

• Immune System Damage
• Hormone Disruption
• Contamination Occurs During Production, Use and
  Disposal
• Bio Accumulative
• Produces Dioxin when burned.
• Dioxins are Bio Accumulative, Mutagenic and
  Carcenogenic.

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Where Do We Find PVC ?

• Wall Cover
• Carpet Backing
• Panel System Base Panel Covers
• Panel System Connectors
• Edge Banding on Work Surfaces
• Window Treatments

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Maybe This is Important After All ?

• Research CDC
• http//www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html

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Now, What about Recycling ?
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Did You See The Tires ?

• Did You See The People ?

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Post Consumer Waste
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Where Most Of The Industry Hangs Their
Environmental Hats

• Recycled Steel
• Recycled Aluminum
• Recycled Content in Particle Board

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Recycled Content Claims

• FTC Guidelines Govern Manufacturers claims for
  Recycled Content.
• A Manufacturer must demonstrate that by their use
  of the material, the material is diverted from
  the waste stream.

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Steel Facts

• Everyone's Steel is from Recycled Steel you
  cant buy it any other way !!
• A Lot of our Steel is Imported
• Steel Does NOT go to the Landfill for Lack of
  Market - Only Laziness or inability to separate
• 66 of Steel is Recycled Content on Average.
• Can be 99 from Arc- Furnace

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Aluminum Facts

• Everyone's Aluminum is from Recycled Aluminum.
• Aluminum is made from Primary and Recycled
  Aluminum
• Recycled Aluminum Costs LESS than Primary
  Aluminum
• Aluminum Does NOT go to the Landfill because of
  lack of market.

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Particle Board

• All particleboard is, and has been made with
  Post Industrial Waste.
• When a Product is NORMALLY made with Waste
  Material, From the Manufacturing Process, You
  Cannot Include those Materials In Your Recycled
  Calculations- According to FTC Guidelines

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How Do YOU Define Sustainabilitiy ?

• A Product May Have 100 Recycled Content But
  High Levels of Toxicity
• A Product May Have NO Recycled Content But No
  Toxicity

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What About Greenguard tm?
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What Greenguard tm Does

• Measures VOC for Indoor Air Quality
• Emphasis on
• Formaldehyde
• Benzyene
• Styrene

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What Greenguard tm Does Not Do

• Analyze Recycled Content
• Analyze Toxicity
• Analyze Bio-Based Content
• Measure any effects of degradation in Landfills

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Forest Stewardship Council

• Founded in 1993, FSC's mission is to promote
  environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial
  and economically viable management of the world's
  forests. FSC forest management standards are
  based on FSC's 10 Principles and Criteria of
  responsible forest management.http//www.fscus.or
  g/

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Forest Stewardship CouncilGuiding Principles (
Partial Listing)

• Forest Management
• Environmental Impact
• Workers Rights
• Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Monitoring and Assessment
• http//www.fscus.org/standards_criteria/

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McDonough - Braungart

• Design Philosophy

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Cradle to Cradle Design

• Waste Food
• Design Materials and Products That Are Safe
• Collect Recover the Value of These Materials

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The Focus of Cradle 2 Cradle

• Emphasis on Human and Ecological Health Impact on
  a a Products Ingredients
• Ability of the Product to be Truly Recycled or
  Composted
• The Quality of Energy Used
• Water Quality and Quantity
• Social Responsibility of the Manufacturer

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SPIN - Dead Giveaways

• My Product is Recyclable
• My Product is LEED Certified
• My Product is Green because we use Recycled
  Packaging
• My Product is Green because we Recycle our Waste
• My Product is Green because we are Energy
  Efficient

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How GREEN Is It ?

• In a LEED Certified Factory
• Where Literature is printed On Recycled Paper...
• Where Employees collect Aluminum Cans, Waste
  Paper and Pop Bottles.
• You make a product that is Green Guard Certified
  ( low VOC emissions).

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How GREEN is The Product if It Contains..

• Teratogins, and Bio-accumulatives formaldehyde,
  mercury, PVC,cadmium and there are substitutes ?
• Negligible legitimate Recycled Content
• No Legitimate Sustainable Attributes

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Green ????

• There are Green Factories
• There are Green Processes
• There are Green Products
• They are Related, but one does not Guarantee the
  Other !

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We Drink the Same WaterWe Breathe the Same Air

• We Do Not Inherit The Earth.We Borrow it From
  Our Children Native American Saying

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For further Information onWorkshops, Seminars,
Product and Material Consulting...

• Eugene M. Lisa
• Verde Interior Products
• gsavp_at_aol.com 407-673-7474