Home Improvement Done Right 
Home Improvement Done Right
According to studies conducted for
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, residential construction and
demolition projects accounted for 58 million tons of waste in 1996, and
as much as 90 percent of this waste is recyclable. To help address this
problem, the American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the
U.S. Green Building Council recently released a set of guidelines for
best practices in sustainable home improvement projects (see the
related links).
With a little reading and advance planning, you
can reduce the environmental impact of your next project—whether big or
small—by adopting these strategies:
Reduce. Begin by thinking
about the most efficient use of the available space and daylight, what
materials or systems you can reuse, and how you can minimize the scope
(and cost) of your project. You might even consider taking advantage of
renewable resources such as solar energy (for electricity or water
heating), wind power, geothermal energy (via a heat pump), or a
combined heat-and-power system.
If you’ll be working with a
contractor, choose one who is willing to recycle and work with
recycled/reused or “green” products. The EPA recommends that a
contractor’s bid be accompanied by a plan for reducing, reusing, or
recycling construction waste as well as a description of the
contractor’s experience with similar projects and references from those
projects. The best possible option is a contractor or architect who has
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification—but
be sure to ask for proof.
Deconstruct. When renovating an
existing space, think "deconstruction" rather than demolition. Most
things can be reused or donated, including flooring, siding, windows,
doors, bricks, plumbing and lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, unused
roofing materials, leftover paints and varnishes, hardware such as
nails and screws, and structural components.
Reuse. Before
heading to the lumber yard or hardware store, look for a materials
exchange such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, which may offer both
new (surplus/overstock) and used materials and building components.
Recycle.
Take whatever items you cannot reuse to a local recycling facility or
materials exchange (see the related links). The EPA identified more
than 1,000 asphalt and concrete recycling facilities nationwide as of
June 2004, as well as 700 wood-waste recycling facilities and 300
“mixed-waste” recycling facilities that accept demolition debris.
Source: http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/ucshome.htm
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