Green Effort

Is Your Go Green Commitment Only Skin Deep?

Power PR: Articles
Date: 07/25/2007

The following release was created by Power PR, a business to business marketing
public relations firm based in Torrance, California.

Acceptance of eco-friendly materials surged in recent years, as homebuilders, developers and contractors embraced their clients' wish to create dream homes while also saving the planet.

The commendable move toward Green products, however, is not without its critics. Builders and developers typically focus only on energy-efficient products, such as appliances, windows, and heating-cooling systems (HVAC).

That could change as standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) force the housing industry to face a dirty little secret: the installation of essential home products whose manufacturing processes cause severe damage to the environment.

The Green movement is generally defined by the use of renewable or recycled materials and saving energy. Non-profit organizations such as the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services (CHEERS) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) provide free resources that help home builders, developers and owners understand how to improve energy efficiency.

And the federal government has encouraged energy savings by creating the Energy Tax Credits Program. These credits can help offset the cost of making significant energy-efficient improvements. Builders, developers and contractors knowledgeable about these incentives are invaluable to their clients.

But the effort to make home construction more eco-friendly may be neutralized by two words rarely exchanged between builders and buyers -- styrene emissions.

Styrene is a water insoluble liquid that is used in resins to coat and reinforce fiberglass shower stalls and bathtubs. EPA studies show that styrene is a significant source of volatile emissions that are generated by most fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) industry processes.

During the FRP manufacturing process, styrene emissions happen during two phases: First, the high-pressured application of the gel-coat, which allows evaporation from liquid droplets and second, the laminate curing period when heat drives off the volatiles.

Shower and bath units are of particular concern because of their large surfaces. A typical unit may require eighty-square-feet of the gel-coat. EPA experts say exhaust air from spray booths at manufacturing plants represents the major point source for these damaging emissions.

Emissions may be reduced somewhat by using a vapor suppressant additive, typically a wax that migrates to the surface of the resin during curing and forms a barrier to seal in the styrene. But it doesn't eliminate styrene from the environment.

Breakthrough dramatically reduces styrene emissions
The EPA regulations stipulate that no more than 10 percent of the styrene processed during manufacturing of bath and plastic-coated plumbing products may be released into the atmosphere.

Now Fiber Care Baths, of Adelanto, Calif., says it has discovered a process that dramatically beats the EPA regulation by limiting emissions to three-tenths of one percent. The firm manufactures and installs fiberglass and acrylic bathroom fixtures.

Steven Hess, who founded the firm in 1995, said the new process is the result of years of research. His motivation for lowering styrene emissions is twofold: improve the environment and avoid pressure on his industry from the EPA.

"Pressure from the EPA has been constant," he said. "Many scientists have worked on this problem for over 30 years. It's really a significant breakthrough."

Hess said his firm lowered styrene emissions by eliminating 60 percent of the liquid from the gel-coat that is applied to shower and bath units. This was achieved by replacing the isophalic resin in the gel-coat with lexan bead -- a building block for acrylic that has no harmful emissions. He describes the new gel-coat as "quasi" acrylic.

Jay Bellasalma is president of Tech America in Chino, Calif., the engineering and consulting firm that spearheaded research and development that resulted in the breakthrough. He has worked with Hess for 19 years on emission reduction. And while strides have been made throughout that time, this big leap is the fruit of his labors over the last two years.

"Quite frankly, it's going to have a tremendous impact because so many companies are capped at production levels because of emission restrictions," he said. "Emissions are a very hot topic. And there are not a lot of options for medium-sized corporations."

Bellasalma said small and mid-sized shower and bath manufacturers have found it difficult to compete with larger firms because they could not increase production without buying more emission credits. These credits, which basically allow firms to "legally pollute," are available to companies that meet EPA standards. But they don't come cheap. One pound of emission credit cost about $2,500. And ten to fifteen pounds are needed for every one hundred pounds of gel-coat. "It's really not the answer, but it is available," he said.

Patents for the new gel-coat application, which Bellasalma calls a styrene suppressant, should be processed by late summer. Once that happens, Fiber Care Bath and other firms can increase production without incurring fees. Even so, Bellasalma said the bottom line was not the primary motivation for Hess.

"Steve has always had a goal to reduce emissions, regardless of what the law said. He went into the venture knowing it would cost money, and he would try anything. He said to me, 'I would like to do it right before I die.' No emissions is his goal," said Bellasalma.

Aside from lowering emissions, Hess said the new gel-coat has provided unexpected benefits: the appearance of his tubs and showers are much improved, and he has doubled their strength.

The styrene issue may strike some builders and developers as one more threat to the juggling act that pits environmental concern against the cost of doing business. This same concern initially stalled the Green revolution, until consumers at every level of the economic chain were convinced that safe products didn't necessarily equate to higher costs. Hess said the new process adds some cost to the manufacturing of his products. But when factored in with installation, his prices are competitive. Only a negligible increase is passed onto the consumer. He also said that, in general, builders and developers have been open-minded about learning more about products that will improve the eco-friendly nature of the homes they create.

"It adds a marketing tool for builders to sell their homes," said Hess, whose products also include features that reduce mold in bathrooms.

Scientists estimate that an excess of 20 million metric tons of styrene escapes into the atmosphere every year. But Hess believes emissions could be reduced by as much as ninety percent if other firms adopt his gel-coat recipe.

And there are many good reasons for other firms to get on board. Fewer emissions imply better use of raw materials, thus reduced manufacturing costs. There would also be less concern about Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations as they relate to worker exposure to chemicals, and reduced disposal of hazardous waste.

For more information contact Fiber Care Baths, Phone 760-246-0019; or visit the web site www.fibercarebaths.com