The California Integrated Waste Management Board launched a plan last week that targets the "greening" of state and local government facilities as well as private sector buildings in the 21st century.
The Waste Board adopted a Sustainable Building Plan and allocated $500,000 in funding to lay the groundwork for increased sustainable or "green" building construction throughout California. Sustainable buildings are designed to be resource efficient, improve indoor air quality, use recycled-content and environmentally sensitive building materials, and preserve the natural environment outside the building.
"By constructing the buildings with recycled-content materials, using energy and water efficiently and improving the indoor environment, green buildings operate less expensively while protecting worker health and improving employee productivity," Waste Board Chairman Dan Eaton said.