Welcome to Eco Options Only at The Home Depot

Improve your home. And the environment.

WHAT IS ECO OPTIONS?

The Home Depot is dedicated to making a positive environmental impact everyday. Now with the Eco Options brand, we have made it easy for you to identify products that make a difference, one choice at a time.

Every product with the Eco Options label has less of an impact on the environment than competing products. Specifically, Eco Options products offer one or more of the following benefits: Sustainable Forestry, Energy Efficient, Healthy Home, Clean Air and Water Conservation.

In Celebration of Earth Day On Sunday April 22nd, We will give away 1,000,000 n:vision™ Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) to customers who visit any U.S. The Home Depot store*. This will result in:
• $12 million savings in annual energy costs
• Reduction of 196 million llbs of CO2 emissions - the equivalent of removing over 70,000 cars from   American highways

* While supplies last and within the 48 contiguous states

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

Sustainable forest products are produced from resources such as wood harvested from responsibly managed forests, or contain a high percentage of recycled materials. Look for products such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products that come from forests where environmental, social and economic interests and benefits are safeguarded.

Plywood

Choosing FSC certified wood products gives you piece of mind knowing that the harvest and production of that product was done in an eco-friendly, responsible manner. Our plywood is eco-friendly in two ways: it is a certified wood product and plywood is made of small scraps of wood, reducing waste. Our exclusive Millstead plywood only comes from certified sustainable forests around the world. Millstead plywood excels in grading standards for strength and appearance, prevents premature rotting, and carries a limited lifetime warranty. When purchasing our Millstead lumber you’re not only helping save the environment, but are choosing an economical, quality choice product. One 98 foot tree with 200,000 leaves can absorb 11,359 gallons of water and breathe it into the air in just one growing season. That’s enough rain water to fill over 324 bathtubs!

Molding

Forests supply us with much more than lumber and oxygen. One fourth of the medicines today and 70% of the plants found to have anticancer properties originated within rainforests, and many more continue to be discovered. Rainforests are rich with biodiversity containing millions of species of plants and microorganisms, many of which have not been discovered. Therefore, it is important to select wood that comes from forests managed in ways that will ensure their protection, as well as the protection of many other natural resources (sustainable forests). Home remodeling is the largest use of wood products. It takes over 64 trees to create the wood products used in an average home, excluding the lumber used for framing. Purchasing FSC certified molding products instead of non-certified products helps protect forests and ensure cleaner air. In one year, the average American consumes enough wood and paper to make up a tree 100 feet tall and 16 inches in diameter!

Doors

Only plants, including trees, can produce enough new oxygen to support life on Earth. Rainforests alone generate 40% of the worlds oxygen. Protecting these forests and trees will ensure a healthy living environment for many years to come. Purchasing FSC certified wood products aid in the protection of the world’s much needed forests. Doors make up a large percentage of wood products used within a home. The average single family home has 19 interior doors totaling over 444 board feet of wood. That’s two trees worth of doors in your home! Purchasing doors made of certified wood instead of non-certified helps protect forests and ensure cleaner air. Currently there are over 208 million acres of FSC certified forest providing habitats for nearly 6 million species that would otherwise be lost due to deforestation

Dimensional Lumber

Trees affect our environment in many ways, including the amount of rainfall we receive as well as the quality of the water we drink and the air we breathe. Since trees naturally absorb Carbon Dioxide (CO2), a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, trees naturally help clean the air.

While trees and the wood we get from them are a renewable resource, in some countries, the growing demand for wood is taxing its regenerative capabilities. Therefore, it is important to select wood that comes from forests managed in ways that will ensure wood as a resource is cultivated (sustainable forests). "Dimensional lumber" is the term given to all of the standard cuts of lumber used in construction.

Because most homes are constructed with wood using dimensional lumber, purchasing dimensional lumber that is certified as coming from sustainable forests will help ensure that we provide wood products for today's generation without eliminating wood supplies for future generations to use.

On average, one acre of FSC certified forest can supply enough wood to build 5.65 2,000 square foot homes each and every year.

ENERGY EFFICIENT

The Home Depot offers an extensive selection of solar and ENERGY STAR® qualified products. These energy efficient products use significantly less energy than conventional products, which saves you money on utility bills and prevents greenhouse gas emissions.

Incandescent vs. ENERGY STAR® Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs)

Change a light, change the world!

Why Switch?
CFLs consume up to 75% less energy and they last up to 10 times longer then incandescent bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs operate at 350°F in order to produce light while CFLs operate at 90°F to produce light. The lower operating temperature of CFLs mean they are much more efficient then incandescent bulbs.

Solar Lighting

Why pay for electricity when solar energy is free? Outdoor solar light fixtures give off no emissions creating great environmental benefits. Requiring no cords, and minimal maintenance, solar light fixtures can be easily installed virtually anywhere. On sunny or cloudy days the solar cell panel converts light into electrical energy and stores it in the rechargeable battery. The battery holds enough energy for the light to shine throughout the night.

Low Emissive Windows

New ENERGY STAR® qualified windows can help reduce your energy bill up to 15%. Estimated savings vary from region to region depending on current heating and cooling costs and are generally greatest where there are hot summers, cold winters, or both. For a typical home choose ENERGY STAR® qualified windows and save $125 - $450 a year when replacing single-pane windows, or $25 - $110 a year over double-paned, clear glass replacement windows. ENERGY STAR® qualified windows contain low-emissive (low-E) glass. Low-E glass is made with a metallic coating on the inside of the insulating glass unit which lowers the window’s ability to transfer heat and saves energy. The low-E coating reduces fading by up to 75% by reflecting the long-wave light rays that carry heat and UV without compromising visibility.

Appliances

For a typical home, appliances account for about 20% of the energy bills. That’s up to $380 per year. ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models saving you money and the environment. When purchasing a new appliance, remember there are two price tags: what you pay to take it home and the energy and water costs to use it. By replacing your 10 year old refrigerator, dishwasher, room air conditioner and clothes washer with ENERGY STAR® labeled equipment, you could save about $180 a year.

Heating and Cooling

With the continuous increasing of gas and electricity prices, energy bills keep rising. The average household spends $615/year on heating and cooling alone. Using a programmable thermostat can save up to 33% on heating and cooling costs per year. Not only do you save money, but the environment benefits from the energy savings as well. By switching to a programmable thermostat you can save enough energy to supply 600 cars for a year.

HEALTHY HOME

Contribute to a healthy lifestyle and indoor environment by reducing toxins present in the household. By reducing sources of contamination in and around your home, you help to create a healthy environment. Environmentally preferred cleaners and all-natural garden products all help to reduce toxicity.

Greenscaping

Our home environment goes beyond the indoors. Our yards are our outdoor homes - a place to relax and for children to play. GreenScaping is an all natural way to improve the health and appearance of your lawn and garden, keeping your family safe. With simple GreenScaping practices you can save time and money while protecting the environment. Save Time by landscaping with plants that require less care. Save Money by eliminating unnecessary water and chemical use. Protect the Environment by: • Conserving water supplies • Using chemicals properly and only when necessary to keep waterways and drinking water clean • Reducing yard waste by recycling yard trimmings into free fertilizer and mulch

Organic Herbs and Vegitables

Many vegetables we eat today are processed and contain preservatives, colors, dyes, fertilizers, and many more unhealthy chemicals. Many are added to enhance the look and shelf life of the product. Although these chemicals may enhance the appeal of the vegetable, they can potentially be harmful to your body. In addition to being healthier, organic herbs and vegetables taste better. The natural flavor is not masked by chemicals and preservatives. You can be certain you are getting the full benefits of the vegetable unaltered by potentially harmful chemicals. Growing natural, organic herbs and vegetables ensures chemical free produce enriched with more vitamins and minerals than non-organic varieties. Consuming more natural vitamins and minerals boosts the immune system, keeping you healthier longer.

Cleaning Products

Full Strength vs. Reduced Toxicity Cleaner. We use potentially harmful products to clean our homes and offices every day, which can damage the environment if they are not disposed of properly. Products certified under the EPA's Designed for the Environment (DfE) program contain only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class. Using DfE certified products help to reduce Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), and switching to DfE certified cleaners can help make a big difference in the reduction of HHW.

Organic Fertilizer and Soils

Organic fertilizers and soils are proven to be better for you – and the environment. They add nutrients to the soil that chemicals deplete and do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment that could harm plants, insects and animals.

CLEAN AIR

Improve air quality and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. This can include products such as no and low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints, tankless water heaters, air purifiers, and air filters.

Air Purifiers

CO2 emissions are the largest contributor to global warming. You can reduce these emissions by purchasing ENERGY STAR® qualified products. The average 1,500 square foot home collects 40 pounds of dust per year. ENERGY STAR® qualified air purifiers will help you and your family breathe easier while saving you money and lowering CO2 emissions. Operating 35% more efficiently than standard models, an ENERGY STAR® qualified purifier saves an average of 215 kWh per year, preventing 370.9 pounds of CO2 from entering the earth's atmosphere.

Tankless Water Heater

Help save the ozone by lowering CO2 emissions with a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters average a 98% efficiency rate compared to 80% for a standard tank water heater, resulting in CO2 emission savings. Tankless water heaters heat water only when needed, which can save you 20% on your energy bills, unlike standard water heaters that store gallons of water that needs to be constantly heated and reheated. Not only will you save on energy bills and CO2 emissions, but on space as well. Tankless water heaters are small enough to fit in a closet, in a cupboard, or under a sink.

Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Paint

The average adult spends more then 80% of their time indoors, making indoor air quality very important to maintaining good health.

Indoor paints are usually applied in occupied spaces, meaning people are more likely to be exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the paint, even for up to six months after application.

The Home Depot offers a line of Glidden paints that have low or no VOCs, which means they emit fewer pollutants and have a lower odor. This improves indoor air quality, outdoor air quality and allows you to enter painted rooms faster.

WATER CONSERVATION

In and around your home, this means choosing products that use water efficiently. Low flow toilets and flow restrictors help control water usage. Outside, you can reduce the amount of water used on lawns and gardens with products such as sprinkler timers and rain barrels.

Water Conservation Tips

Water is a vital resource to our planet and the living things that inhabit it. With booming populations and ongoing drought conditions, our water resources are becoming taxed. Protecting and preserving the nation’s water supply is critical to our economy, environment, and human health. Using water efficiently now will help ensure water supplies for future generations. Use the tips section to the right to learn how you can take action to conserve water.

Low Flow Toilets

In most households, 30% of the water demand is used for flushing the toilet. This makes the toilet the single largest user of water in the home. New high efficiency toilets conserve water by consuming a maximum of 1.1 gallons of water per flush or less, without sacrificing performance.

Replacing a standard 1.6 gallon per flush toilet with a new, high efficiency or low flow model can reduce your water use by 20% or more. Replacing an older typical (pre 1994) 3.5 gallon per flush toilet can increase this reduction to 60% or more!

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