Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are like nutrition labels for products providing life cycle impacts of the product, from raw material extraction and manufacturing to the use of the product until it is recycle or taken to a landfill. The practice of providing these is very widespread in Europe and Japan but not in the United States. Still, there are organizations such as the Green Standard (www.thegreenstandard.org) that provide administration of EPDs in compliance with ISO 14025. The ISO 14000 provides standards for environmental management systems, which govern such the environmental categories covered in EPDs.

     According to the Environmental Business News June 2009 edition, the first product manufacturer in the United States to undergo the process was InterfaceFLOR, which audited its Convert carpet products. An EPD under ISO 14025 includes information on the materials, energy, and water used in making and shipping products as well as its effect on global warming and other environmental impacts.

     The product manufacturer could become more increasingly regulated or pressured to go through with this process as regulators and non-governmental organizations look to the manufacturing sector for a reduction in embodied energy in processes and a lessening in environmental impacts.

     Green Apple Group can assist manufacturers with the process of determining how green a product is and what it would take to innovate and produce a greener product based on an audit of the life cycle of a product. 

Environmental Product Declarations, green products, life cycle, ISO 14000, ISO 14025

A new study found that building industry firms are using social media platforms forbranding more often than any other uses, according to a study reported on in the Aug. 3 edition of ENR from McGraw Hill. The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) conducted a survey of several hundred firms to determine how they used social media, asking the participants if they used it for Retention, Recruitment, Branding Individuals, or through a Marketing Firm. ENR reported that of the firms that participated 62% responded they used social media platforms for branding. Those that were not using these on-line venues said they lacked an understanding of social media. Because of the rapid adoption of social media for marketing, a representative of SMPS told ENR that the survey was already out of date. Full coverage of the study is at enr.com.

Social media, architectural marketing, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

It may be difficult to text with your thumbs while working on a job site, but some in the building industry are using Social Media. In just a few short months, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) has seen a spike of the kind rarely reported in articles about Social Media and BtoB marketing. The PCA explained in its July 13, 2009, Executive Report that more than 475 individuals are following its LinkedIn page and the @ConcreteThinker account on Twitter has more than 900 followers. If this pace keeps up, these venues will become the go to place to ask questions about cement and concrete while also directing visitors to the many outstanding resources on the group's Web site. This building industry organization has also started a Facebook page and they are linking posts from one platform to another. The executive report says they have plans to start a YouTube site. This is a great example of how well social media platforms can help commercial building product manufacturers. To learn more about how your building product can gain valuable exposure on the Social Media venues, call Paul Nutcher at 407-517-4748 or e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Social Media, Portland Cement Association, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, @ConcreteThinker

Green Apple Group President To Attend SEBC Show in Orlando

I’m heading to the 31at Annual Southeast Building Conference/Green Building Show (SEBC) today to meet with many of the professionals on the residential side of the green building industry, as well as check out the exhibits.  Hope to see you at one of the following events SEBC:

I’ll be meeting personally at 2 p.m. with a representative of E3 Building Science, which is the second Florida-based LEED for Homes provider in the state. The company will be offering a green rater training course Aug. 13-14 at the Embassy Suites at 8978 International Drive in Orlando. The two-day course cost $295 and a shorter one day course on the second day cost $215. Check out this opportunity to start working in the green economy at www.E3BuildingScience.com, or email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . So if you are interested in a job in the green economy, this is one opportunity. The LEED for Homes provider is the conduit for certifying homes through the U.S. Green Building Council’s program.  E3 Building Science will need lots of field agents or “green raters” to oversee the construction of a LEED registered home and then assist builders with the submittals. I’ve posted more about the process and other information on the LEED for Homes tab at www.usgbc-cf.org.

Next, I’m attending the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC, www.usgbc.org) Chapter Meeting at 3:30 p.m. at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Room 12, 19840 International Drive in Orlando. The host will be Matthew Libby, the U.S. Green Building Council, Manager of Residential Alliances. The meeting of LEED for Homes Chapter Leaders will include a presentation from Nate Kredich, USGBC VP Residential Market Development.  The purpose of the USGBC National’s staff and managers meeting with us is to bring everyone into the same room to brainstorm on how we can partner up to advance green building in the state of Florida. With Nate from National there, we’re hoping to meet with him and talk about how National can help the Central Florida Chapter. It is rare to be able to meet so many different chapters in place and we want to make sure we have enough time to talk with each of you. We then can all walk over to the “Building Green Together” reception afterwards.

Then there is a Networking Reception “Building Green Together,” which is co-hosted by the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) will be held at the SEBC o begin a dialogue on common goals to support sustainable building in Florida. The event is today from 5-7 p.m. at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Salon 1, 9840 International Drive, Orlando. The FHBA president Jay Carlson and second vice president Ted Brase will be there, as well as the USGBC’s Nate Kredich, VP Residential Marketing Development. The FGBC President Dr. Jennifer Languell will also address the attendees.

LEED for Homes, FGBC, FHBA, NAHB, USGBC, Sustainability, Green Building