About Greenovations

Product Selection Process & Criteria

Every product we offer, whether a stock item or a special order item, is measured by a rigorous selection criteria. We have tested or researched each product to make sure our products stand up to their claims. We place value on products that have received certification from independent, third party organizations such as Green Seal and FSC. We select products that are made from recycled, renewable materials and local sources. We choose non-toxic products or products that are manufactured with the lowest toxicity technologically possible so that your home can contribute positively to your health. We want your home ecosystem to be free of chemicals that are harmful to your health. All the products we research are measured against the criteria listed below.

  • Is it renewable?
    Many of our products are made from renewable materials, including products made from recycled material. Still, just being renewable doesn’t mean sustainable. Bamboo flooring, perhaps the most popular renewable material out there, is harvested with varying degrees of respect for the environment. Many bamboo flooring manufacturers purchase their bamboo from plantations that operate unsoundly from an ecological standpoint. Their production processes are compromised further by harvesting the bamboo too early, resulting in a weaker, thus less durable product. All of our bamboo products are harvested sustainably and produced with the future in mind.
  • Is it local?
    In addition to the above considerations we always seek to find high-quality products made locally. When that is not an option we seek an equal or better alternative manufactured as close to New England as we can find. That’s why we sell Runtal Radiators. Though Runtal is in fact a German subsidiary, their products are manufactured in Ward Hill, Massachusetts. We also sell Ice Stone recycled glass countertops and IVY Coatings paint, both from Brooklyn , N.Y. We have chosen Eco Timber and Plyboo for our flooring line because they are one of the only “green” manufacturers sourcing their FSC certified wood here in the U.S.
  • Is it healthy?
    Homes built using standard construction materials are full of toxins and known carcinogens, such as urea formaldehyde, that off gas for up to 20 years. Most standard flooring, cabinetry, and even wall systems use formaldehyde as binders and curing agents. Standard grade paints are full of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), and even some no VOC paints still have VOC’s in their tinting, in addition to benzene, acetone and other heavy metals. None of this makes sense. The air we breathe in our homes should  be free of harmful chemicals. People living in chemical free homes report immediate improvement to their health after years of living in standard design homes. We stay on top of technology so that we can offer the healthiest choices available today with true no-voc paints and coatings, or in cases, the lowest VOC content available on the market.
  • Is it efficient?
    It is if we sell it. Every home requires a unique array of equipment to maintain the lowest energy loads possible with that design. Though we do not offer materials for the construction of your home’s shell, we have the knowledge, the experience and some of the products available to help with your efficiency goals. We sell wall panel and towel radiators that greatly outperform industry standards. As well, we can help you install one of the most advanced, fully condensing tank-less water heaters on the market. We carefully research these products along the lines of their life cycle cost and always consider the value of the upfront cost when striving for your energy goals. More importantly, were happy to help you achieve those goals. We won’t sell you a product unless we’re confident it is a good fit for your goals and your home design. Even if you’re just looking for advice, we’re happy to help.
  • Is it durable?
    We choose only durable products and believe you get what you pay for. No cheap substitutes are available at Greenovations. The more durable the product, the less we demand from nature. That’s always a good thing.
  • Is it biodegradable?
    Eventually, most manufactured products in the world today end up in a landfill or some such waste disposal location. Even the best products outlast their usefulness at some point. Once that happens, the best we can do is encourage the use of products that will return, positively, to nature. We give extra consideration to products that are designed to have a low impact on the environment, from cradle to grave.

Conservation and Sustainability are Core to Our Business Practices

  • We continue to inquire about the business and labor practices of the companies we support. It is our belief that employees that nurture the earth are employees who are nurtured at work.
  • The conservation efforts of any given manufacturer always influence our decisions. Building green should not be a marketing ploy, it should be a way of life. We support companies that live by principles of environmental justice over economic motive. Such companies, we believe, will prosper from their good will, and the good will of living kind will prosper from such producers.
 

“Building green should not be
  a marketing ploy, it should be
  a way of life.”