Consumers
are seeking out and choosing eco-friendlier products for their homes.
The results of Information Resources Inc’s 2007 Sustainability study
revealed that “the consumer market for sustainable products and
packaging is viable and growing.” The survey also revealed that
“one-in-five U.S. consumers are ‘sustainability-driven’ in brand and
store selection.”
Window Treatments Help Reduce Energy Consumption and Are Eco-Friendly, Too
To better educate its
franchisees and customers, Budget Blinds polled the manufacturers in
its Vendor Alliance to determine which products would be good choices
for its eco-conscious customers. The company was pleased with the
findings.
“We learned that we have a growing list
of products available for customers who want to purchase
environmentally friendlier items for their homes,” said Tracy
Christman, Director of Budget Blinds’ Vendor Alliance.
“We
were thrilled to hear that our entire private label program, Signature
Series™ by Budget Blinds is certified by Green Built Home,” said
Christman.
Green Built Home is a Wisc.-based
organization that reviews and certifies products and building products
that meet sustainable building and energy standards.
In
addition to the Green Built Home certification, Budget Blinds’
Signature Series™ products are manufactured in facilities that have
adopted many eco-friendly practices, such as: using sawdust to fire
kilns and heat the factory, recirculating water in cooling systems that
saves over 90 million gallons annually and recycling 75% of the total
waste in one of its plants.
In addition to its
Signature Series products, Budget Blinds offers a variety of products
from its other Alliance vendors for people who want to make more
environmentally-conscious purchases.
Low Indoor Emissions
Budget Blinds has a number of products that have been certified by the
GREENGUARD Institute, an industry-independent organization that
established stringent standards regarding acceptable indoor air quality
standards for indoor products, environments and buildings.
Consumers
interested in these products should inquire about the following
products: Shutters and wood blinds, Genesis II roller shades and panel
tracks made from Sheerweave 2000, 2390 or 2500 or Mermet 3G material.
Retractable screens are also made with the Mermet 3G material.
Renewable or Recycled Resources
If consumers are interested in purchasing products that are made using
renewable or recycled resources, they should inquire about the
following products:
Woven
Wood Shades are made from grasses, reeds, bamboo and jute, all
renewable resource crops. Certain wood shutters and wood blinds are
made with wood obtained from a certified sustainable hardwood forest.
Budget
Blinds also sells area rugs that are made from renewable seasgrass,
mountain grass, sisal and wool. Additionally, it sells rugs that are
made using Nylon 6, a cradle-to-cradle program that recycles nylon rugs
instead of depositing them in a landfill. Aluminum and cardboard are
recycled at nearly every manufacturer.