Nowadays the term ‘green’ is used pretty loosely. Yet the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit entity that maintains the integrity of these guidelines, has already pinned it down. What does it mean for your nail salon?
Maybe you’ve heard of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Building and Certification Standards. That’s a mouthful of syllables, but in short these standards define the design, construction and operation of ‘green’ buildings. Essentially, they pin down the details of how to turn that energy-wasting brick-and-mortar into infrastructure that conserves our nation’s natural resources.
Fleshed out in 2000, LEED certification standards provide independent, third-party verification that a building actually meets the council’s edicts. LEED officials award a company or nonprofit credits based on a 100-point scale. This review reflects the degree of potentially negative environmental impacts that are occurring within a particular building. Some folks see the standards as fairly restrictive. Yet many businesses are recognizing the detrimental impact inefficient infrastructure has upon our nation.
So, just what does LEED Certification have to do with your nail salon? First off, do you know what it takes to convert your salon to an eco-friendly one?
Through the LEED certification process, a particular project may receive up to 10 bonus credits of which four address regionally specific environmental issues. A project also must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points to achieve certification. There are several types of certifications.
For commercial interiors, LEED certification is 40-plus points, Silver is 50-plus points and achieving the Gold level requires 60-plus points. An enviable Platinum designation requires 80-plus points. What does this mean for you? In order to become a LEED-certified nail salon, you should expect to hire a LEED-accredited professional with previous experience in ascertaining compliance to the standards. It’s no picnic, but many companies think it worthwhile to pursue, because there’s a growing number of consumers out there seeking to assuage a nagging conscience.
So, here’s the bottom ‘green’ line: if you want to go green but are reluctant to expend the time and resources to achieve LEED certification, you can still do your small part. Aim to reduce the negative environmental impact through small, manageable steps that will cut down your carbon footprint in a significant way over time. Start with this simple step: Share your ideas and experiences, as collaboration and sharing energy-saving ideas will prove the key to a sustainable future for all of us.