Waste 2 Resources > Green Building

Green Building

Welcome to the Washington State Department of Ecology's green building website. Ecology's Green Building Group provides technical assistance and educational resources to local and state governments, not-for-profit organizations, and Washington residents and businesses to support green building efforts.

The Green Building Group is working to reach goals outlined in the Green Building Initiative of the Beyond Waste Plan, Washington's strategy for managing hazardous and solid waste. This 30-year plan has a clear and simple objective: eliminate wastes and toxics whenever we can and use the remaining waste as resources. Green building has been identified as one of the ways to significantly reduce waste and the use of toxic substances in our state. The long-term goal for green building is to become a mainstream practice throughout the state.

Please use the left side bar to navigate between the following sections:

• Green Building Basics - Components of a green building; green building statistics in Washington State.
• Certification and Regulations - Green building and product certification programs; Washington State Law on High Performance Buildings.
• Case Studies - Links to case study databases; description of Ecology's Headquarters building in Lacey, Washington.
• Homeowner Resources - Homeowner incentives; brochures on elements of a green remodel.
• Builder Resources - Educational resources, incentives available to builders, and appraisal information.
• Alternatives to Waste - How to avoid and reduce waste generated by construction, demolition, and remodel projects.
• Ecology Assistance - Ecology services: eco-charrette facilitation, grants, environmentally preferred purchasing, assistance to local governments, interagency cooperation, and some Washington green building organizations.

If you have further questions or would like to share your green building experience, please contact Ecology's Green Building Group.