Sustainability Goals
NatureMaker’s one-of-a-kind trees have been designed and manufactured to ensure minimal negative environmental impact throughout the tree’s life cycle. The result of this approach is a tree that uses organic and recycled materials in its construction and clean technologies in its manufacture, including burnishing on the metal structure, VOC-free paints and environmentally safe adhesives.
NatureMaker’s artistic trees are constructed of raw materials with a recycled content of 75%, depending on the design. Our artistic trees are designed for durability, ease of disassembly, and minimal maintenance. 50% to 75% of the component parts are designed to be readily recycled at the end of the tree’s life.
Keys to Naturemaker’s Sustainable Design and Deliver
- Durability — Steel has a long life cycle with superior durability and require less replacement over time, offering exceptional cost-effectiveness with reduced waste.
- Low-VOC emissions — NatureMaker’s artificial trees meet or exceed emissions guidelines for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
- Nontoxic and nonallergenic to humans — NatureMaker’s artistic trees utilize materials that meet the guideline of Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
- Recycled content — The NatureMaker artistic tree collection provides 50% to 75% of recycled content.
- Shipping and Handling — The NatureMaker environmentally friendly delivery process includes utilizing recyclable packing material and partnering with freight companies that utilize bio-diesel fuels and provide carbon credits for delivery.
Specifying NatureMaker for a variety of public art or interior design requirements can help construction projects earn LEED® points in several categories.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ as a voluntary national standard for designing high-performance, sustainable buildings, including a family of rating systems to meet the unique design features of different building projects. The majority of projects registered with the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ fall under the “New Construction and Renovation” track. The following are examples of LEED® credits* to which NatureMaker may contribute. Formal credit interpretation requests, feedback on LEED® credit submittals and project certification are provided by the USGBC.
* LEED® for New Construction Version 2.2 USGBC, November 2005
MATERIAL & RESOURCES (MR) CATEGORY
MR credit 1.3: Building Reuse (1 Point) Maintain 50% of Interior Non-Structural Elements
Intent: Extend the life cycle of existing building stock, conserve resources, retain cultural resources, reduce waste and reduce environmental impacts of new buildings as they relate to materials manufacturing and transport. Requirement: Use existing interior non-structural elements (interior walls, doors, floor coverings and ceiling systems) in at least 50% (by area) of the completed building (including additions).
How NatureMaker can contribute
NatureMaker’s artificial trees are durable and made of long-lasting materials, so they may remain as focal points when the building finds a new use, reducing demolition waste and the need to invest in new interior trees.
MR credit 3.1: Materials Reuse 5% (1 Point) MR credit 3.2: Materials Reuse 10% (1 Point in addition to MR Credit 3.1)
Intent: Reuse building materials and products in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and to reduce waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin resources. Requirement: Use salvaged, refurbished or reused materials such that the sum of these materials constitutes at least 5% (Credit 3.1), or 10% (Credit 3.2) based on cost, of the total value of materials on the project.
How NatureMaker can contribute
NatureMaker’s artistic trees can be easily repaired and refinished back to its original condition, thus minimizing the need to replace or dispose of it. It can also be removed, re-designed and either reinstalled as new design, or seamlessly reworked into new environments.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (EQ)
MR Credit 4.1: Recycled Content 10% post-consumer + ˝ pre-consumer (1 point)
MR Credit 4.2: Recycled Content 20%(1 point in addition to MR Credit 4.1)
Intent: Increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.
Requirement: Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 10% (based on cost) of the total value of the materials in the project. The recycled content value of a material assembly shall be determined by weight. The recycled fraction of the assembly is then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value.
How NatureMaker can contribute
The NatureMaker tree sculpture is certified to contain pre-consumer recycled content. These trees contain material diverted from the waste stream in the manufacturing process, reducing the processing of virgin materials.
NatureMaker has been certified to contain a minimum of 20% or 50% pre-consumer recycled content and can help contribute to the overall recycled content of a project.
MATERIALS & RESOURCES (MR)
MR credit 5.1: Regional Materials 10% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally (1 Point)
MR credit 5.2: Regional Materials 20% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally (1 Point in addition to MR Credit 5.1)
Intent: Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous
resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.
Requirement: Use building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured* within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of 10% (Credit 5.1), or a minimum total of 20% (Credit 5.2), based on cost, of the total materials value.
*As defined by the USGBC.
How NatureMaker works towards regional suppliers
NatureMaker is manufactured in a 30,000 square foot facility in Carlsbad, California; the distance from the primary manufacturing facility to the job site can be calculated to determine whether it is within the 500-mile radius necessary to contribute toward the Regional Materials credit.
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