Home ›

Samples Library

Samples Library
 
About the Library
The NEXUS Samples Library is a collection of green products and materials for residential and commercial projects. It offers building professionals, homeowners, students and the general public the chance to learn about a variety green building materials and see them first-hand. Our library currently contains more than 500 green products sorted by CSI category and labeled clearly, so that visitors can easily identify the product name, manufacturer, website, and other information.
Submit your product to our Samples Library today.
1. Complete the 20 minute Product Survey
2. Submit your product sample and specification infomration about that product via mail or hand delivery to our office in Boston. 
 

How Does NEXUS Screen Products for Sustainability?

All products in the NEXUS Samples Library are screened according to sustainability standards developed by organizations such as BuildingGreen, third party certifications such as GreenSeal, Cradle to Cradle, Forestry Stewardship Council, and ROHS, as well as our own set of stringent screening criteria.

We’ve created a quick product screening survey for completion by product manufacturers that are ‘green’, based on the absence of dangerous chemicals and the presence of attributes such as recycled content, effect on air quality, end of life disposal, how rapidly renewable a resource is, and its ability to conserve energy or water.
 

What are some of the attributes that make a product green?

Non-Toxic:
Certain products are considered sustainable because they help to maintain good indoor environmental quality by limiting the emission of VOCs, such as formaldehyde, which can cause cancer and other health problems. Some toxic chemicals contribute to climate change or air pollution levels, while others are slow to break down, and remain in the environment even after the product has been removed.

Recycled or Reclaimed:
Some products are considered sustainable because they contain high levels of recycled material. Post-consumer recycled, pre-consumer recycled materials, reclaimed material recovered from remodeling or demolition projects, and products made from agricultural waste reduce the need for new raw materials and reduce the embodied energy associated with a product.  

Rapidly Renewable:
Rapidly renewable resources are considered sustainable when they do not require many years to regrow or regenerate.  
 
Energy and Water Conservation:
Some products are green because they:
                1. Reduce the overall energy needs of a building
                2. Use less water and energy to operate
                3. Use renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power
 

Database of Samples in Our Library

An online listing of all products in our library can be found here. Detailed information on any of these products can also be found on www.buildinggreen.com. BuildingGreen is a non-profit organization that offers a range of green building subscriptions and resources, including their Green Spec Directory which is a subscription offering green building product information for all CSI categories. All of the computers in the NEXUS Cyber Lounge have a subscription to BuildingGreen which allows visitors to access basic information about products in the GreenSpec directory for free.