Green Interior Design Solutions — LEED Accredited Professional

Making it Easier to be Green

Green design includes energy conservation, but that's not what it's all about. It's about having good air quality both indoors and outdoors, making the environments in which we work, live, study and play healthier and more comfortable and conserving all of our natural resources.

This site will provide a balanced, holistic view that includes advice about sustainable sites, indoor air quality, environmentally responsible design and construction, selection of materials and minimizing waste.

I will be focusing on interiors for three reasons:

	•		We spend about 80% of our time indoors.
	•		Buildings in the United States annually consume about 30% of our total energy and 60% of our electricity.
	•		As a professional interior designer and a LEED Accredited Professional, I want to share my knowledge and expertise with you.

Susan Aiello, ASID, is a LEED Accredited Professional and New York State Certified Interior Designer who is committed to green design.

Interior Design Solutions, her New York City based design firm, is a member of the United States Green Building Council.

View the Interior Design Solutions website.

Recycling CF Bulbs

United States Green
Building Council
www.usgbc.org

Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov

Energy Star
www.energystar.gov

National Resources
Defense Council
www.nrdc.org

Fluorescent Lamps Should be Recycled

In the name of energy conservation, most "green" sites meant for consumers suggest changing incandescent lamps (i.e., regular light bulbs) to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) without mentioning that CFLs contain mercury and should be recycled or disposed of in a certain way. While the amount of mercury in each CFL is very small (some have more than others), the cumulative effect of everyone switching to this light source and just tossing used lamps in the trash could be problematic.

There are a number of companies in the business of recycling CFLs, so it would be simple for apartment buildings to recycle the lamps used in common areas, such as hallways, as well as those used by individual tenants and shareholders. Stores that sell CFLs could take used lamps back for recycling at a cost of about 85 cents per lamp. While that would increase the cost of the CFLs, it seems like a small price to pay given the EPA's detailed instructions for disposing of a fluorescent lamp that accidentally breaks in your home. If you'd like to see the EPA's instructions, here is the link: www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/cflcleanup.pdf.

The energy savings associated with CFLs do have a positive effect on our environment, including the reduction of the mercury pollution associated with burning coal (the leading source of electrical power). Using CFL's is a good idea, but they should be disposed of properly.

Back to Current Blog