Sustainable Building Forum

Article: Home Depot`s Eco Options (http://www.informedbuilding.com/Live-Clean/Main13/Home-Depot%27s-Eco-Options/)

I just wanted to add that I really appreciate Home Depot's efforts.  I don't know if all the Home Depots did this, but the Home Depots in our area gave away free compact fluorescent lightbulbs on Earth Day this year.  That alone had to have made a difference! 

I heard that Home Depot announced that their earnings in the last quarter were lower than expected, thanks to the housing/mortgage crisis.  I hope this doesn't put an end to their committment to (i.e. budgeting for) green living/building programs.

I was excited to hear of Home Depot's Eco Options, but found it hard to come across any of these items in the store that I was looking for.  Since I try to buy as eco-friendly as possible, I had to hunt around for items and they weren't labeled that well.  Also, the salespeople didn't have as much knowledge as I had hoped about if they had Eco Option products in stock.  For example, I wanted low or no-VOC paint and asking the salesman in the paint section for some input left me waiting for about 20 minutes as he tried to look it up in the computer, then it turns out they had none in stock and I would have to wait for weeks to get in low-VOC paint (they don't stock no-VOC).

The Eco Options looks good in the advertisments, but they need to get a little more organized about it to make shopping for those easier.

I think it's wonderful Home Depot is trying to do something for our enviroment. No matter how small or big it may be. More of the big name stores should start thinking about having eco friendly alternatives in their outlets.

Home Depot has begun looking more into "green" products, unfortunately for a company as large as they are, change comes slowly, not many manufacturers can handle the volume of Home Depot.

As far as low VOC paint, Evermore by Glidden has been available for nearly 2 years. Right now they are rolling out a completely VOC free paint, it is only available at one or two stores in each market. Not only is the paint "green," the can is made of 100% post-consumer recycled materials and the tint is VOC free. Many competitors that sell VOC-free paint add normal tints to the paint which add VOC's.

The ECO-options program is store based, relying heavily on store personnel to drive the program, some stores will be better than others at labeling the "green" products,  but they all carry them. I am the green-team captain at my store in Oregon, we are the first Depot in Oregon to carry the new paint, and I think it is a great step in the right direction, but it will take a long time to teach the 350,000 Home Depot employees about it.

The new no VOC, 100% green paint product is called FreshAire and is being placed into all Home Depot's during Feb. and March 2008. It has a 65 color collection, a primer/sealer, and a ceiling paint.  It is manufactured by Glidden Paints and you can get more information on this product at www.freshairechoice.com