We have been exploring sustainable building materials this week, and we are overwhelmed by the number of green options out there. In flooring alone we have seen everything from recycled hardwood to “green” vinyl. Our fear of “green washing” kicks in and we feel compelled to do our homework.
We are learning that product life cycle information is hard to find, and that we have to trust our suppliers to provide truthful statistics. It seems that almost every manufacturing company is advertising a green advantage of some kind. But we are resolved to find products that go above and beyond meeting LEED standards, products that are exceptions to general claims of sustainability.
Here is an interesting twist on sustainability… This week Shaw introduced us to a “prison wood” line of Anderson flooring. It meets the usual criteria we look for in sustainable products (such as recycled content and responsible manufacturing), but there is also a story about the people behind its creation. The wood is hand crafted by inmates at a correctional institution in South Carolina, near Anderson’s headquarters. It is a voluntary job that pays above minimum wage; it helps inmates build skills and a work ethic; and it prepares them for re-entry into society. In return, Shaw/Anderson is able to deliver a beautiful, high quality product. It’s sustainable on all dimensions—a generative workforce using recycled product to create a distressed wood that designers love.
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