REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE/RENEW

About two years ago, I passed the intense requirements needed to become a LEED - AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design- Accredited Professional). This introduced me to "Sustainable Design and Green Building"
initiatives. It used to be we thought of the 3 "R's" as reading/writing/arithmetic.
Today's acronyms in reference to sustainability are REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE/RENEW. So when I see a company maximizing eco-savvy elements, I can clearly feel comfortable sharing that with my clients to help them make informed purchases. Here is information from the Hunter Douglas shutter collection in regards to the four key categories of earth friendly sustainability.

REDUCE--

*Reduce emissions-all shutter collection products are "GREENGUARD" indoor Air Quality Certified and GREENGUARD Certified for Children and Schools
*Reduce the use of artificial light-all shutters products offer white louvers that can be used to redirect and reflect natural light to the ceiling, bringing the light deeper into a room.
*Reduce energy costs- all shutter products offer exceptional R-value performance to maximize home heating and cooling use throughout the year
*Reduce damage to furniture and flooring-all shutter products block up to 99% of the damaging UV rays when closed.
*Reduce the need for replacement-shutters traditionally offer the longest window covering life span due to their timeless design, low maintenance and enduring composition.

REUSE

*95% of excess Newstyle cap material from the manufacturing process, is shredded, ground and reused as polypropylene sheeting material in the US.
*Each month the Custom Shutter Division collects over 250,000 pounds of sawdust which is reused by a paper mill in California to create paper-based products.
*Shutters are often reused as room dividers, headboards, table bases and other decorative ideas.

RECYCLE
*100% of Palm Beach polysatin shutters can be recycled when disassembled-polysatin components, aluminum reinforcements and metal hardware
*Hunter Douglas's recommended shutter packaging materials are made from recycled content and can be reused or recycled.
*Foam--50% recycled content and reusable
*Cardboard--20% recycled content and recyclable
*92% of manufacturing cardboard and paper are recycled annually
*The custom shutter division diverts 3.3 MILLION pounds of waste from landfills each year through recycling efforts.

RENEW
*Heritance hardwood shutters are made from a 100% renewable resource
*The Hunter Douglas Custom Shutter and Horizontal Blind Division's 2009 contributions to the Arbor Day Foundation equated to 11,125 trees being planted and approximately 2.8 million square feet of rain forest being preserved.
*Hunter Douglas is the only window fashions manufacturer partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation.
Buying quality shutters is a sustainable investment in your home, it is comforting to know that a purchase from the Hunter Douglas Shutter Division is also a sustainable investment in our environment.