President Obama has directed the U.S. federal government to dramatically increase the purchase of biobased products over the next two years, which will create jobs and drive innovation where biobased products are grown and manufactured. The decision will also result in a 50 percent increase in the number of new products that are designated as biobased. Biobased products include items like paints, soaps and detergents, synthetic turf, and carpet are developed from farm grown plants, rather than chemicals or petroleum bases. The biobased products sector marries the two most important economic engines for rural America: agriculture and manufacturing.

AstroTurf, a member of the Biobased Products Coalition, makes synthetic turf which features backing made by Universal Textile Technologies and made from soybean based polyols. SYNLawn, the landscape division of AstroTurf, also features soy-based backing in its landscape turf products.

“My administration is committed to using every tool available to promote economic growth and create good jobs in rural America,” said President Obama. “Today’s announcements reflect our continued focus on expanding opportunity for rural Americans and all Americans, including supporting new and innovative businesses, and improving rural health care and education. And the actions we’re taking today are possible thanks to the feedback and ideas I’ve received from hardworking Americans across rural America, including the participants at the White House Rural Economic Forum.”

For AstroTurf and SYNLawn, the decision opens the doors for synthetic turf sports and landscape applications at federal government facilities throughout the country, including military installations.

AstroTurf has worked closely with soybean farmers throughout the country in creating awareness of its synthetic turf products. In 2011, AstroTurf installed the new football field at Kansas State University, where AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples and Kansas Soybean Commission Chairman Bob Haselwood were presented with a game ball and 5,000 fans received samples of the soy-backed AstroTurf.

“This is a monumental decision,” said Peeples. “AstroTurf and SYNLawn are on the cutting edge when it comes to the sustainability movement, and biobased manufacturing has become a huge part of our corporate culture. We are providing the best synthetic turf products available, all while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and helping to create American jobs.”

The Presidential Memo builds on the Congressional support for biobased products established in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. Key provisions in the new memorandum include:

• Requiring federal agencies to include goals and milestones for biobased purchasing in their Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans.
• Including biobased purchasing in the scorecard that the Office of Management and Budget uses to rate agencies’ Sustainability/Energy performance.
• Directing a 50 percent increase in the number of new product categories that are designated by USDA as biobased for preferred federal purchasing.
• Requiring new public reporting of federal agencies’ biobased product purchasing.
• Requiring federal agencies to sample and verify that biobased products are being included in purchasing contracts, identified in purchasing catalogs, and integrated in product specifications and contracting procedures.
• Directing the implementation of new biobased purchasing training, education, and outreach efforts to federal buyers.
• Providing assistance to small businesses to improve the selling of biobased products and services to the Federal Government.
• Directing the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare a report to the President on job creation and the economic impact associated with the biobased products industry.

“We know that when biobased products are used, it’s going to create new manufacturing opportunities in rural areas and we also know that it’s going to reduce our reliance on foreign oil,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

The federal biobased initiative is also an important model for state and other governments, such as Ohio, that passed legislation that requires state agencies to buy biobased products that are designated through the federal biobased program. Counties across the nation have started using biobased products as well.

Biobased product manufacturers and allied organizations launched the Biobased Products Coalition, of which AstroTurf is a member, in 2007 to focus and coordinate industry efforts to improve the federal biobased program and promote other favorable federal policies. The BPC provides a forum for biobased manufacturers of all sizes as well as farmer and other trade associations to present a unified industry voice on federal policy.

Greening of Georgia Street: wishtv.com

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – It’s similar to the material you see on a football field. Now, the artificial grass is making its way to Georgia Street in Downtown Indianapolis.

It‘s all part of the push to spruce up the area in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to pack Georgia Street Super Bowl weekend and the days before.

Saturday, a small crew form SYNLawn spent the majority of the day installing artificial grass.

SYNLawn — the company the city contracted to install the grass — donated nearly $14,000 worth of material to help spruce up the city.

The company’s owner, Phil Phillips said, “We saw that we might be able to do something and be apart of it and the whole family went for that very quickly.”

Jan Pritchard and her husband, Ron, spent the day checking out the recent changes.

“We wanted to walk and see what it is going to look like before the Super Bowl,” Jan Pritchard said. Her husband added they wanted to beat the big crowd leading up to game day.

Meanwhile, Super Bowl week warming stations will line Georgia Street. There will also be a host of activities for you and the family.

To see the entire story online, please visit this location.

When Harlem Success Academy Charter School received federal funding for a playground makeover, they chose SYNLawn to provide a multi-purpose athletic field as a central focus. This field was able to enhance the elementary athletic program in addition to directly supporting Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” Program.

The team at Peter Gluck and Partners chose SYNLawn’s SYNPlay to construct the field. The SYNPlay solution offers a 100% nylon artificial grass product with an 8mm foam pad that provides a great playing field that absorbs shock and protects from injuries. Although the team’s motive for choosing SYNPlay was solution-based for the school, this also contributed to a larger scale initiative.

A new and unique partnership has been formed between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, AstroTurf, SYNLawn, Universal Textile Technologies (UTT), and the United Soybean Board (USB). UTT is now purchasing the Class 1 recyclable plastic bottles from Yellowstone’s waste stream and will convert them into a non-woven fleece material used to manufacture high performance backing for certain AstroTurf and SYNLawn synthetic turf products, SYNPLay being one. This partnership creates and protects jobs for the American work force, helps the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks meet recycling goals, and provides AstroTurf and SYNLawn with products made better through recycling and reuse efforts, and helps to lower the environmental impact of discarded plastic bottles. According to the EPA, recycling one ton of plastic drinking bottles saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. Additionally, 12,000 BTUs are saved for every pound recycled.

The true success of this program is that it has solved many of the issues the school has dealt with in the past. The students can now enjoy the advantage of playing outside immediately after it rains without grass stains, mud stains or allergenic concerns, while the school administration will be taking advantage of lower maintenance costs, which results in greater savings for the school. The beautification to the corner of 127th and Lexington just stepped into the 21st century with SYNLawn’s help and the community is sharing in the excitement on many levels. Kids, parents and taxpayers alike could be heard cheering on the SYNLawn team for a job well done.

About Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” Program

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, “Let’s Move!” is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping kids become more physically active.

Everyone has a role to play in reducing childhood obesity, including parents, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies. Your involvement is key to ensuring a healthy future for our children.

For more information about the “Let’s Move!” Program, visit www.letsmove.gov

Dalton, GA — SYNLawn, the world leader in residential and landscape synthetic turf is now just a little bit greener thanks to a new initiative with one America’s greatest national parks.

Universal Textile Technologies (UTT), today announced a new initiative to include bottles collected from Grand Teton National Park into its manufacturing process. UTT converts the plastic bottles into a non-woven fleece material used to manufacture high-performance environmentally friendly backing for carpet and synthetic turf products. Now termed the PET Park Project, UTT is working in partnership with The Grand Teton National Park, Teton County Solid Waste and Recycling, CPE, Inc., and the United Soybean Board (USB).

“As the provider of the world’s best synthetic turf for residential and landscape applications, we are excited about this project with a national park which boasts some of the most beautiful areas in the world,” said George Neagle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SYNLawn.

Americans generate an enormous amount of waste material every day. In the Grand Teton National Park, millions of visitors are educated on the positive aspects of recycling, including plastic bottles. This new partnership, called the PET Park Project, promotes the reuse of discarded plastic bottles, significantly reduces the amount of bottles that go to the landfill, and helps the park meet their recycling goals.

UTT then incorporates the use of recycled bottles to manufacture BioCel^™ and EnviroCel^™, environmentally-friendly, performance-based polyurethane backing systems for carpet and synthetic turf. Both BioCel and EnviroCel utilize recycled plastic bottles, combined with naturally renewable soybean-based polyols derived from domestically grown soybeans. UTT is a leader in the use of soy to reduce the petroleum content in its backing. The use of soy-based products and recycled plastics converted stateside help to support the U.S. economy and create American jobs. UTT is a charter member of the Biobased Products Coalition, the Carpet and Rug Institute, Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), and is NSF 140 Certified.

Many of the recyclable plastics collected in America are sold overseas, where they are used to produce plastic products that are later sold in the U.S. This partnership will help produce American jobs by allowing American workers to convert the bottles and decrease the carbon footprint required in transportation overseas.

“Grand Teton National Park has proven its commitment to promoting beneficial environmental stewardship practices, and the PET Park Project is an excellent example of how private companies can work with the National Park Service to find innovative recycling solutions that benefit all of us,” Margaret Wilson, Grand Teton National Park’s Planner & Sustainability Coordinator.

The partnership represents a model system that can help increase the demand for recycled content in American-made products. With the help of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Americans are now able to purchase carpets featuring recycled content from the parks, and includes American-grown, soy-based technology that displaces a large portion of the petroleum components.

These exciting, environmentally-friendly backing technologies assist in LEED® certification. BioCel and EnviroCel are resistant to moisture, insulate against energy loss, reduce ambient noise, and increase the structural integrity of carpet and synthetic turf.

“On average, two bottles out of 10 are recycled in America today, and our objective is to increase this number. We hope the PET Park Project will increase awareness of the many opportunities for Americans to participate,” said Doug Giles, director of marketing for Universal Textile Technologies. “We are excited to be a part of this project and look forward to continuing our partnership with the National Park Service.”

About SYNLawn:

SYNLawn^® is the industry innovator on synthetic grass. Their lush and livable synthetic grass systems have transformed the way synthetic grass is used, producing the most advanced and performance oriented putting surfaces and synthetic landscaping solutions in the market. SYNLawn^® uses exclusive nylon technologies to produce unmatched solutions for synthetic landscape, golf, pet and playground systems. SYNLawn^®‘s grass products are 100% recyclable and lead compliant. As a true vertically integrated manufacturer/installer in the business, SYNLawn^® delivers customers the highest quality artificial grass products at a competitive price with the most genuine industry warranty. With the company’s rapid expansion, SYNLawn^® has 35 locations now open in the United States and Canada. To learn more visit www.SYNLawn.com.

By Paula McCooey, The Ottawa Citizen

We’ve come to that point in the year when we can park the lawnmower and not think about it for the next six months. But what if you could scratch that task off your list of chores forever and still have the benefit of a “manicured lawn?”

Larry Roy has the answer — artificial turf — and his work is starting to get noticed across the city, whether it be the lawn of a new residential infill, an indoor putting green or even a Minto model home.

Roy is a distributor and installer for SYNLawn Canada (SYNLawn.ca) and patches of his artificial lawn product are cropping up in all kinds of places, including rooftops, roof decks, patios, playgrounds and the new Ott­awa Humane Society on West Hunt Club Road — of the more than 20 varieties of grass, there is even one specifically designed for pets.

Why go for fake grass?

In the case of Minto, the leader in green building is testing it as part of the company’s green initiative, installing it at two model homes, the Gainsborough and Hathaway, in the Orléans community of Avalon. Installed in the spring, it’s too soon for Minto to know whether it’ll be cost-effective, but marketing director Catherine Shea says they’re getting positive feedback from those visiting the models.

“There are a number of benefits to it … we should be saving on water, irrigation system, mowing, fertilizing, aeration, etc.”

The look and feel is made to come as close to the real thing as possible. Soft on your feet, with realistic-looking blades, the synthetic grass uses recycled material. And no matter how you slice it, maintaining real grass costs time and money.

The company claims about a 50-per-cent reduction in residential water use, as well as reductions in carbon emissions from lawn equipment.

“Without having to power up heavy lawn mowers, whack weeds, or water grass, SYNLawn removes those elements and is virtually maintenance free,” says Roy.

Using the Minto home as an example, he estimates the return on their investment at around 28 months if they own the showhome for five years.

“The biggest concern was water usage, cutting, and the (long) labour hours in maintaining it, especially being a showhome because you want it to always look good,” he says.

The product is manufactured in Dalton, Georgia, which is known for textile manufacturing, and distributed across Canada and the U.S. You’ll find it at high-traffic tourist areas such as the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland and the Wynn Las Vegas Resort.

Locally, Roy says, he’s done about 150 residential and commercial installations over the past five years and business has grown substantially even from last year. One interesting project was a $6-million home he worked on in Rideau Forest in Manotick that mimics a live roof.

“When (the owner) was on the second floor, all he saw was asphalt shingles and all this gorgeous forest around him,” says Roy.

“So we ended up turfing his entire rooftop. And you know what, it looks like a live roof.”

Besides saving energy, he says these applications are recognized as LEED compliant. A water retrieval system placed under the synthetic grass allows rainwater to penetrate and follow channels into a collection system.

Other projects include the more traditional installation of indoor greens at the Ottawa Athletic Club and the Kevin Haime Golf School, several home indoor putting greens and the not-so-traditional 6,000 square feet of dog turf at the new humane society. Roy also installed the grass on two rooftop courtyards at the Claridge Plaza 1 condo tower on Rideau Street.

The turf costs $5.50 to $7.50 a square foot with installation running from about $3.50 to $8 per square foot.

For residential projects, Roy warns homeowners be wary of artificial grass overkill and suggests striving for balance by incorporating different textures of interlock, river rock and garden.

So how does the turf weather Canadian elements?

Just fine.

“In the wintertime, it is covered in snow, so it is actually being protected from the ultraviolet rays,” Roy says of the fade factor.

“And the rays here in Ottawa are not as strong as they would be down south where the product is used, too.”

Now if we could only turf our snowblowers.

CLICK HERE to read the full story online.

(CHICAGO, Illinois) — Winter is fast approaching, but the Oasis on the roof at Lakeshore Sports & Fitness will always be green.

Did you say, “the roof”?

Following renovations, the Oasis now offers a rooftop experience that is as lush and green as any landscape project.

In fact, recently the club has undergone a series of renovations to enable them to offer members the area’s number one destination for sports and fitness. In addition to providing the latest in equipment, information technology, and other amenities, the club’s newest addition is The Oasis, which has transformed the club’s rooftop.

“We’re very proud of what we offer our members,” said Peter Goldman, owner of the club. “In addition to competing, working out and getting fit, our members like to socialize and have a good time. The Oasis provides a breathtaking and inviting area to engage in all the club has to offer.”

Lakeshore Sports & Fitness has been a part of the community for over 40 years and offers over 185,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for its members. The facilities include workout facilities, tennis courts, swimming pools, an indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts, and more.

The Oasis is a 20,000 square foot area on the roof which provides a magnificent panoramic view of the Chicago skyline. It offers a restaurant area, outdoor fitness areas, as well as kid- and adult-only zones.

In a commitment to being green, all design elements of The Oasis feature environmentally-friendly construction materials. Even the plates and utensils in the restaurant area are made from recycled content or plant materials.

That’s not the only thing that’s green. The Oasis features a 10,000 square foot area made up of synthetic grass from SYNLAWN^®, the world’s leader manufacturer of synthetic turf for landscape use. The SYNLawn surface is designed to resemble natural rye grass.

“This was a tremendous project,” said Mike Maschmeyer, owner of Chicago RoofDeck & Garden, which designed and built The Oasis. “The SYNLawn synthetic grass is what really set this project apart, from an aesthetics and environmental standpoint.”

SYNLawn products are the most environmentally friendly on the market. SYNLawn turf products save millions of gallons of water each year, keep fertilizers and pesticides away from pets and out of the ground water supply, and reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption from lawn equipment.

SYNLawn products have replaced petroleum-based polyurethane with soybean oils in the manufacturing process and are 100% recyclable.

“Nothing says green like SYNLawn,” said George Neagle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “It not only helps to create a fresh and usable space like the one Chicago RoofDeck & Garden constructed for Lakeshore Sports & Fitness, it shows a commitment toward being a good steward of the environment.”

It also provides a nice complement to the physical fitness lifestyle and how Lakeshore Sports & Fitness have created the opportunities for its members to participate in that lifestyle and find respite at The Oasis.

About SYNLawn:

SYNLawn^® is the industry innovator on synthetic grass. Their lush and livable synthetic grass systems have transformed the way synthetic grass is used, producing the most advanced and performance oriented putting surfaces and synthetic landscaping solutions in the market. SYNLawn^® uses exclusive nylon technologies to produce unmatched solutions for synthetic landscape, golf, pet and playground systems. SYNLawn^®‘s grass products are 100% recyclable and lead compliant. As a true vertically integrated manufacturer/installer in the business, SYNLawn^® delivers customers the highest quality artificial grass products at a competitive price with the most genuine industry warranty. With the company’s rapid expansion, SYNLawn^® has 35 locations now open in the United States and Canada. To learn more visit www.SYNLawn.com.

By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen

Green homes, except for the odd rebel, just want to be one of the gang. At least, that seems to be the message from the Kermit-coloured corner at the Housing Design Awards held Oct. 22 by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association.

This year, there were entries in the green tract, renovation (entire home) and development categories.

Corvinelli Homes’ 1,338-square-foot Napoli bungalow took the tract prize. It was the second year in a row the company has won the award.

“This is really nice,” said company president John Corvinelli after winning the trophy. “Everything I did in this house is standard in our homes. It shows you don’t have to be a tree-hugger to use less energy.”

And while the home stood out at the awards, its Century Stone elevation and covered front entrance would fit into any neighbourhood. Looking at it, you’d never guess it’s so efficient that the total monthly energy bill shouldn’t top $150.

That’s thanks to heavy insulation, an R16 garage door, a drainwater heat recovery system and other elements that boost it above Energy Star standards.

Yet features like an open-concept design, coffered ceilings in the living room, entranceway and bedroom and ceiling-high upper cabinets with crown moulding and valance lights in the kitchen make the home both functional and attractive.

“It costs maybe three-per-cent more to take the house from code to super-insulated,” says Corvinelli, who builds in outlying areas.

An “Ultimate Insulation” package, which boosts attic insulation, for example, to R63 from R50 and cuts those heating bills even further, is available for an extra $3,000.

The Napoli sells for $267,080 in Crysler and $320,070 in Russell.

“These are all tract homes,” says Corvinelli, referring to his full line of Energy Star dwellings, “but they look nice, I think.”

Looks are critical when it comes to green, agrees Matthew Sachs, general manager at Urbandale Construction. The company went up against Corvinelli with itsMenlo Park III model.

“One of our guiding principles is trying to keep design first and foremost when we’re integrating green technologies,” says Sachs.

However, with an EnerGuide rating of 86, both an R-2000 label and Energy Star certification, and a claim that it uses 66-per-cent less energy than a home built just to code (the building code will be upgraded come 2012), the Menlo Park III is clearly green-savvy.

Amid all this eco-awareness, the three-car garage is a bit of a head-scratcher.

When it comes to design, the 3,290-square-foot home echoes Frank Lloyd Wright in its strongly linear elements, says Sachs. The home, part of Urbandale’s modern-themed Horizon line, features a shed rather than a gabled roof line, and the black mullioned windows underscore the linearity. Available in Kanata Lakes and elsewhere, it starts at $614,900.

Buyers don’t rank green among their top priorities, he adds. The community and look of a home are more important, while green is “the feel-good clincher.”

The third tract home contender was Minto’s spacious Gainsborough in east-end Avalon.

Starting at $453,000, it features four bedrooms, a stylish curved staircase, a generous kitchen with a breakfast nook and other gracious must-haves. At the same time, it’s Energy Star-rated with interesting green features, like an all-off switch system and SYNlawn, an artificial sod alternative that saves millions of litres in watering each year and eliminates the need for mowing and fertilizing.

Contenders like these prove that esthetics are important in a green home, says Chris Hewett, a professor of architectural technology at Algonquin College and a judge for this year’s Housing Design Awards.

Esthetics, not just green features, were a larger consideration in judges’ decisions this year than ever before, he says. “It was one of the recommendations we made last year. You don’t want to just throw money at technology and call (a home) green. It has to stand on its own against conventional homes.”

The green renovation prize went to an Echo Drive-area project that’s anything but conventional. A blocky modern home clad in airtight acrylic stucco, it started life as a modest brick bungalow. The existing home was renovated rather than replaced to avoid disruption of the building site.

Amsted Design-Build, a regular green winner at the annual awards, did the massive overhaul, picking up honours for custom bathroom and kitchen in the same home in the process.

A LEED Platinum candidate, the highest level in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building, the house is heavily insulated and features triple-glazed windows, including two storeys of glazing on the southwest wall to light the stair tower and provide natural illumination deep into the home.

A solar system heats water for domestic use and preheats water for home heating.

“We were building green houses back when we were granola crunchers and hippies. Now we’re cool,” a jubilant Steve Barkhouse, Amsted’s president, said at the awards. By giving green awards, he added, the association has raised the energy efficiency bar for builders and consumers alike.

Amsted’s sole competitor was RND Construction and co-submitter Chuck Mills Residential Design and Development. Their project saw a drab and drafty house transformed into an Energy Star-equivalent home with timber and Arts and Crafts elements in its new façade and a host of new interior features, including a spacious, stone-tile vestibule.

Minto took the green development award for its Stonefield Flats condominium project in Barrhaven’s Chapman Mills. It had no competitors. Registered as Canada’s largest LEED multi-family community, the flats, which start at $218,600, are close to walking and bike trails, public transit and other natural and commercial facilities.

Again, looking at their tri-coloured exteriors and gabled roofline and entranceways, you’d never guess they contain state-of-the-art insulation systems and other green features.

With trends like this, Hewett says green homes will in all likelihood eventually be absorbed into the main award categories. “Right now, green is still on the fringe, but it will become just the norm.”

CLICK HERE to read the full story online.

The Loose Affiliates presents Picnurbia
Opening Reception: Friday, Aug 11, 5-8pm

Posted by Artsy! Dartsy! Weekly!

Location: Robson St between Howe and Hornby. BYO-Picnic!

In the summer, Vancouverites leave their neighbourhoods and head to the beach, thereby inhabiting the edge of the city. PICNURBIA suggests an alternative to this exodus, creating an inland zone for people to gather and picnic in the heart of downtown.

At PICNURBIA, the summer act of picnicking is heightened by an über–picnic-blanket. This undulating landscape provides spaces for people to hang out and play in alternative formations, providing a new experience of urban picnicking.

PICNURBIA offers space for people to come together, relax and watch. Inserted into the urban downtown neighbourhood, a community where people already live, work and visit, the site is intended to become an easily inhabited summer zone, where people may gather to enjoy the long summer days. PICNURBIA is designed to offer an ‘on-the-block’ amenity where people can drop by on purpose or stumble upon more informally as they walk or bike home. This will establish PICNURBIA as a summer node, carried on mouth-to-mouth, “Let’s meet at PICNURBIA”

Picnurbia is realised in collaboration with Viva Vancouver and is supported by SYNLawn, suppliers of PICNURBIA’s vibrant yellow turf.

Read the full story at this location.