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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Palm City, FL, United States, 2009/03/06 - While ecologically minded consumers may seek out ways of living green, several certifications can help them to know what they are buying when it comes to home furnishings.
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There have been many movements towards ecological efficiencies. Most of these have involved governments and businesses. However, there are many opportunities for consumers to apply environmental care to their own homes. Mary Jones was looking for blinds that met with her "green" lifestyle. "With the increases in home heating and cooling costs, I have made many changes in my life. Now I wanted furniture and blinds for that I knew were appropriate." Among the many changes that Ms Jones has made are motion sensors and timers on her lights.
Options are available, but often hard to find and trust. "We have had requests for years for so-called 'Green' products. However, too often we made options available, but people did not choose them. With the new certified options, as well as increased needs to save costs, we have seen a greater movement towards these options," commented Judith Johnson from Blindsfactorydirect.com.
Last year saw tremendous fluctuations in energy costs. It was also a year in which demands for environmental consideration became so mainstream; there was barely any consideration of it as a political issue.
In homeowner decision-making processes, there has not been much help. Retailers may have offered options, but one may refer to almost any product as Green, and if there is some justification, it may even be partly true.
Fortunately, there have appeared several new and important certifications. Each one is different for what they certify, and these certifications can help a consumer to know, for example, which window shades or window blinds they would desire.
Oekotex 100 is a certification for textiles that studies the inputs used to create a product. The review process checks for contents that are considered toxic for both people and the planet. If the contents fall below certain levels, and in some cases that level may be zero, the materials can receive the certification.
Greenguard is a certification of the releasing of chemicals from interior products. The Greenguard certification tests products for extended times, to try to ensure clean indoor air. If the products pass the tests, and the quarterly tests thereafter, the Greenguard certification can be given to the product, and implies a cleaner indoor air product.
To apply these certifications to home product selections may not be so easy. To simplify this process, Blindsfactorydirect.com has created a special set of product categories which select from among certified materials. While some of these products are available in other categories, consumers interested in window blinds, window shades or window shutters with a nationally accepted certification may select from these items.
Products which feature the Greenguard or Oekotex certifications are in increasingly high demand as they help consumers to know that they are buying something with a real third-party certification, not just a marketing name.
According the Ms. Johnson, the new selections have been quite popular. "It is the grateful consumers who call to tell us that they are glad that we have simplified this process", says Johnson.
Blindsfactorydirect.com is a full-line store offering window blinds, window shades, and shutters in a range of materials- all custom manufactured to need.
For more information on how homeowners can select certified and other eco-friendly window treatments, please visit blindsfactorydirect.com, and look for EcoBlinds and EcoShades.
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