A sample of EcoLogo certified products on display include:

BioSource’s Pet Stain Remover, EcoEthic’s Cream Cleanser, BioVert Dish Cleaner, Shampoo by Nature Clean, Oxibrite’s Toilet Cleaner, Attitude’s All Purpose cleaner, Zebra pens, Nana Essence shampoo and conditioner, Merchants of Green coffee, Cascades’s Bathroom Tissue and Paper Towel from Atlantic.

A modern model of an environmental home, the solar house combines construction materials with technological innovations to create a healthier living environment. Throughout the house, displays help visitors to discover ways to “green” their home.

The solar house was designed by students from McGill University, the Université de Montréal and the École de technologie supérieure for an international competition - the 2007 Solar Decathlon - in Washington, D.C.

Visit Environment Canada’s site for more information on this environmental project.

I found out recently that not only is Habitat for Humanity starting to build green, but Home Depot is helping them do it. Apparently the Home Depot Foundation is donating $30 million so Habitat for Humanity can “improve the efficiency and sustainability of its affordable homes.” Of course, eco-friendly building has multiple benefits. Quite apart from the environmental impact, green building products tend to be better for your health and better at keeping monthly energy costs down. The Habitat for Humanity/Home Depot announcement is fantastic news all around.

From the EcoLogo files, here are a few green building products for your own DIY projects.

Insulation
Nothing offers an easier route to energy savings than effective insulation. Check out the wide range of EcoLogo-certified insulation products from the Johns Manville company, including basic fiber glass insulation batts.

Sealant
Visit the Dutab website for sealants and construction adhesives that meet EcoLogo criteria. Both categories include requirements that products be manufactured with no toxic metals and contain no more than 5% volatile organic compounds (VOC) by weight.

Paint
The EcoLogo paint category includes a number of well-known paint brands including Benjamin Moore and Glidden. Planning to shop Home Depot? The store stocks a range of low-VOC Glidden paint products.

Phthalates have been a hot-button issue lately because of a study published in Pediatrics showing elevated phthalate levels in babies’ urine. This is a concern because phthalates, which are man-made chemicals, may alter reproductive development. (Yet another example of the convergence of environmental and health issues)

Not surprisingly a lot of the focus on phthalates has been on baby care products applied directly to babies’ skin – lotions, shampoos, powders, etc. However, that’s not the only place phthalates are found. I scanned some of the EcoLogo category criteria documents and discovered that phthalates are used in some floor care products – floor finishers, sealers, restorers, etc. It seems likely that this would have less of an effect on health given that floor care products aren’t generally absorbed through the skin. However, given a choice, I’d go for a floor care product without phthalates. Check out the EcoLogo-certified list.

One other note, phthalates are also used in some electronics, including, according to Wikipedia, the iPod.

According to The New York Times, EcoMom parties are the new thing. Instead of drinking wine over jewelry, home goods or Tupperware products, moms are getting together to strategize on greener living. Not wanting to miss out on a trend, we thought we’d put together our own EcoLogo guide to hosting an EcoMom party.

How to Prepare
Planning to do a little cleaning before company arrives? Bring out a green cleaner to do the job. Both Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens N’ Things carry Greening the Cleaning’s (GTC) Citrus Sage All-Purpose Cleaner. Among the many criteria it meets for EcoLogo certification, the GTC cleaner has less than 1% by weight of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and low aquatic toxicity.

What to Serve
Since moms are often tired by the time they get to an evening party (I know this first-hand), why not have coffee available for those that could use a little caffeine pick-me-up? Merchants of Green coffee is available online and produced under sustainable conditions, with careful consideration given to everything from where the coffee beans are grown to fertilizing and drying methods.

Taking Notes
The most environmentally-friendly way to keep track of green strategies is to commit them to memory. However, if your guests don’t have photographic recall, think about providing them with writing materials for note-taking. Office Depot carries Zebra® Jimnie® Clip Recycled Retractable Ballpoint Pens. The EcoLogo-certified pens contain 75% postconsumer recycled content including material from car headlights, CDs and recycled cell phones!

New Product Sample
Typical mom parties do revolve around shopping, so it can’t help to have a green product or two on hand to show off. Consider Nature Clean shampoo and conditioner. In addition to being EcoLogo-certified, Nature Clean products can be ordered online and delivered with carbon-offset shipping. Lather, rinse, repeat!

Not surprisingly, green marketing works in the housing market as well as anywhere else. The Daily Green has a feature piece up on green renovations consumers can do to help sell a home in a down market. Among the recommendations:

• Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and replace light bulbs throughout the house with compact fluorescents. According to one builder in North Carolina’s Triangle Park, energy-efficient homes are selling faster than their non-green counterparts.
• Give the house a fresh coat of low-VOC paint. Good for the environment, good for your health.
• Get eco-friendly flooring. In addition to the green marketing benefits, green flooring is a health improvement over old carpets which can emit allergens and toxins.

In the 1970s the US banned the use of pollutants known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Yet a recent study suggests that Americans may still be suffering the negative effects of PCBs from wood floor finishes in older homes and public buildings. The news can’t help but make me wonder what hazardous chemicals we’re being exposed to now that haven’t been outlawed yet.

The reason for environmental standards programs is that science is ahead of the law. The criteria for EcoLogo standards are far more stringent than legal requirements. Sometimes laws are weaker because of economic interests, sometimes it’s because lawmakers aren’t as quickly informed about hazardous chemicals as leading scientists, and sometimes it’s simply because the lawmaking process can be slow and bureaucratic. (Remember the famous civics-class film, “How a Bill Becomes a Law”)

Here’s an example. The Sierra Club (unsuccessfully) lobbied the EPA last year to ban industrial and household detergents containing nonylphenol ethoxylates. Many detergent manufacturers have already come up with alternatives, but there is no federal law. On the other hand, EcoLogo’s standard for laundry detergent mandates that products must not be formulated or manufactured with alkylphenol ethoxylates, which includes nonylphenol ethoxylates. The standard was first published in 1997.

Eleven years and counting for federal law to match an EcoLogo standard.

Tis the season for resolutions and the green blogs are full of them. Green Daily says three quarters of Americans plan to be more environmentally responsible in 2008. The Green Daily has a Top Seven resolutions list that includes using recycled paper products at home and reusable bags for grocery shopping. Here’s our contribution to the New Year’s resolution melee. You can start small and still make a big difference in the next 12 months.

Clean Green
Even if your home isn’t spic and span, the occasional good scrubbing can use an awful lot of liquid cleaner. In 2008, consider using a greener cleaner for wiping down bathtubs and countertops. The EcoLogo standard for environmentally-preferable cleaners includes strict requirements for toxicity, biodegradability and bioaccumulation, prohibited and restricted compounds, physical properties and packaging. In addition to being better for your health, these cleaners reduce the potential for smog formation, ozone depletion and greater landfill waste.

Product spotlight: Looking for an EcoLogo-certified cleaner to start the year off right? Among many other options, check out “Imus Greening the Cleaning” cleaner on retail shelves.

Become a Green Advocate at Work
Whether you work in small office or a large corporation, you can make your voice heard in the procurement office (or the admin assistant’s cubicle, as the case may be). Let the person in charge of buying office supplies know that you are in favor of greener materials, and provide information on the purchasing options available. Pick one category of products to start: paper, envelopes, garbage bags, cleaning supplies, office machines, you name it. There’s probably a greener alternative than the one that’s currently being used.

Product spotlight: Boise Aspen brand paper meets EcoLogo requirements, scoring well across an array of categories including resource consumption and energy use in the manufacturing process. Plug in your zip code to see where to buy.

Make Home Improvement an Environmental Improvement
Spring seems like an awfully long time away, but in a few more months you’ll likely start thinking about new home improvement projects for the year. Before you start making plans, consider the materials you could be using. From paint to flooring, there are environmentally-preferable options out there.

Product Spotlight: Start your painting job with a greener primer - one with a low concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There are many choices, including Benjamin Moore’s Fresh Start All Purpose Primer. (Product fact sheet in PDF form)