13 tips to green your home

ECO-RENOVATIONS
9 To use construction material that is eco-friendly, find out where it comes from, how it was produced, to what extent it is sustainable, whether it is recyclable and what kind of maintenance it requires. For example, if the product comes from halfway across the world, you can bet that its transportation required a great deal of energy that, in turn, generated
a considerable amount of greenhouse gases. Plastic, for its part, is a petroleum-based product and, as such, is non-renewable and difficult to recycle.

10 Traditional particleboard should be avoided, as it is manufactured using a glue containing urea formaldehyde, a toxic compound. It also emits volatile organic compounds (VOC), which contribute to smog. Eco-friendly alternatives include plywood, which contains less glue, or particleboard with a soy-based adhesive that is formaldehyde-free. If you must use panels containing formaldehyde, seal all of the rough surfaces with a coat of water-based paint to trap the pollutants.

11 Opt for wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to support the responsible management of forests. FSC-approved wooden floors, planks or doors are available in many stores. To find a retailer that carries FSCapproved wood products, go to www.fsccanada.org and click on “Find FSC-Certified Wood Products” and then “Retailers.”

12 Avoid floor coverings made from petroleum-based products such as vinyl, as well as olefin- or polypropylenebased carpets. Eco-friendly options include natural materials such as ceramic, bamboo, hardwood or linoleum, which do not emit VOCs. They are also longer lasting and
recyclable. Carpets made of natural fibres such as sisal, wool or coconut are also sound options. In terms of cost and maintenance, they are on a par with other types of carpets. Natural-fibre carpets are available in home-decoration stores and some hardware stores.

13 Recycle construction-site waste so as not to overload landfills. For guidelines on the recycling and recovery of construction waste and for a directory of recycling resources, visit the Recycling Council of Ontario website at www.rco.on.ca.

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