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Eco-Friendly Business Products

Good news for those of you who live in a world of office cubbies: Many are going green.

That is, a growing number of companies are purchasing environmentally friendly (and healthier) office furniture and products, that help companies save money, reduce indoor air pollution and support sustainable industries and recycling programs.

For example, those office cubicles? A company called Evolve Systems now makes them almost entirely from recycled or renewable materials. They also make desktops without using formaldehyde, a toxic chemical often found in cheap office and home furnishings.

Others are making chairs from recycled materials, carpets using fibers from plants and even polyester that’s free from harmful chemicals.

What’s driving this trend? Consumer interest and a new rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council known as LEED, or Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design. Companies that want the increased business a higher rating can produce must show they are not only using environmentally friendly materials but that they are also recycling during the manufacturing process and taking other steps to reduce pollution.

Governments are increasingly buying green, building incentives and requirements into their purchasing contracts, giving the LEED rating even more weight.

A rating for residential products is now in the pilot phase, so be on the lookout for a boost in environmentally friendly home building. Going green has never been hotter.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org