Products

The designers and builders of HomeAlive have chosen the building materials and products according to seven criteria:

1. Must contribute to - or at least not have any negative effect upon - the health of the home's inhabitants
2. The manufacturing or harvesting of the products must follow sustainable practices
3. As much as possible, must be locally produced within the same bio-region
4. Must be durable, adaptable and have a long life cycle
5. Must be able to repurpose, recycle or biodegrade
6. Must reduce need for energy
7. Must not have a negative impact on air, water, and eco-system through life cycle

Rare is the product that can meet all seven criteria. In certain product categories it is impossible to meet two or three. The perfect product doesn't exist in every category. In these cases, the products chosen were considered to be less polluting than others on the market.

Explore the products for their features and benefits and think about which ones you might use when renovating or building your own home. Links to the manufacturers or suppliers are provided in most cases. For a full list of products featured in HomeAlive and their suppliers, download the Buyer's Guide.