1 Health - Environment - Sustainability Understanding and Achieving Your Clients Degree of Green® May 2014 National Healthy Homes Conference

2 Agenda History of GDC Greenwashing Green Credibility & ROGI Healthy Home Customer Trends Degree Of Green

3 GDC History 1992 Milwaukee project Learned about MCS, EI & Sick Building Syndrome 1993 Launched SBS Customer base 95% MCS, 5% “aware” 2009 Launched GDC Customer base 50% MCS, 50% “aware”

4 Green Washing Defined Greenwashing comes in many forms: –Do as I say… –Biodegradable –Internal biased decisions –“Natural” –Locally-made –Single attributes

5 Green Washing - examples Large retailers –Clothing –Home Improvements –Manufacturer Organic food story Building products: –Bamboo floors –CFL’s

6 Green Washing - examples VOC’s Definition exempt chemicals Environment vs. Human Health

7 Green Credibility and ROGI Lack of clarity on “green” definition leaves door open to marketing claims Be careful about claiming “green” for things that have little real impact People buy “green” for two reasons Improved bottom line Improved quality of life

8 Emergence of the Healthy Home Green Fatigue-If everything is green, then nothing is green Green is personal and everyone’s definition is different LOHAS consumer is demanding healthier alternatives –BPA –Phthalates –Tainted building materials –Formaldehyde in building materials

9 Growing Customer Base LOHAS: 15-20% of the US population –290 billion spending power Expected to double twice in the next 10 years Women primarily are the driving decision makers -- by large percentage in consumer and 50% in business markets

10 Growing Customer Base Chemical Sensitivity/Environmental Illness According to NIH… MCS is a chronic, recurring disease caused by a person's inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of foreign chemicals Estimated 25% of the US population, although most don’t know it Massive exposure Life changing event Low level exposure over a long period of time

11  What is it? A rating and review system incorporating the 27 reasons a products can be called green. Why invented? Customers asking about what is “more green”. Bamboo vs. Cork, etc. How do we use it? Utilizing our questionnaire, we can determine a customers personal Degree of Green, then guide them to the correlating products. Degree of Green® System

12 Client Examples Customer #1 Customer #2 Customer #3

13 Human Health Chemical Sensitivities Allergies, Asthma Autism Low or No toxin is KEY

14 Environmental Health Global Climate Change Issues –VOC’s, Ozone, Etc. Energy Efficiency Reduced Carbon Footprint GREEN Passive House Beyond Energy Star

15 Sustainability Deconstruction Recycled materials Countertops/cabinetry made from recycled paper or plastics Drywall made from paper cups Bio-based materials Plant oil paints natural linoleum & cork

16 TOTALS What is your personal