Hardware’s new shade of green

Eco-friendly products have been in hardware stores for more than a decade in the form of organic plant foods and fertilizers. But the green product boom of 2006 has driven the growth of eco-friendly items and they’re now popping up in departments ranging from home lighting to lumber.

The Home Depot expanded the movement in April when it launched its Eco Options program that identifies more than 2,500 products in stores that are eco-friendly, including compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, front-loading washers and energy conserving appliances. Home Depot used Earth Day on April 22 to kick off the program by giving away more than 1 million CFL light bulbs in stores.

“From our wood-purchasing policy to having our first store certified as green by the U.S. Green Building Council, we are committed to helping improve the environment and lessening our impact on it,” said Home Depot chairman Frank Blake. “And Eco Options is the next step in expanding that commitment.”

While the CFL bulb has become the symbol of eco-friendly products in stores—Home Depot alone sold more than 50 million of the energy-saving bulbs in 2006—suppliers are rolling out hundreds of new products this year that are all natural and save energy. The list includes:

Low-flow toilets from Highline and Cimarron that use only 2.4 gallons per flush instead of the standard 3.5 gallons, conserving thousands of gallons of water per toilet each year;

All-natural cleaning products from Odoban for a variety of surfaces from glass to porcelain. Odoban’s Earth Choice line of cleaning products contain only ingredients that have minimal effects on health and the environment;

Organic fertilizers from Scotts and biodegradable peat pots. Organic fertilizers release nitrogen slowly into the soil to give it more time to absorb and minimize the amount that can run off and contaminate groundwater; and

Thermostats from RiteTemp that regulate the temperature to conserve energy use.

And the flood of new products has prompted other retailers like Lowe’s and Ace Hardware to start similar promotions for organic and natural products in stores.

Lowe’s now carries an extensive line of bamboo products in stores that formerly could only be special ordered. (Bamboo is considered eco-friendly because it’s fast-growing and is easily replenished.) The products include bamboo flooring from Natural Floors, window blinds from Ambria, Lewis Hyman and Basic Blindz and floor rugs from US Floors. And it opened a prototype store in Austin, Texas, last year with natural and energy conserving fixtures.

Orchard Supply Hardware made its push into eco-friendly labeling in March with the launch of new “Earth Friendly” logos in its advertising and in stores. The logos tag products that are energy efficient, biodegradable, organic or recyclable and make it easier for customers to find them.

The 85-store home and garden chain based in San Jose, Calif., has been carrying earth-friendly items for years and sponsoring in-store programs to encourage the use of products like rechargeable batteries and fluorescent bulbs that use less energy or reduce pollution. “We have partnered with relevant organizations in our communities in an effort to offer customers easy ways to help the environment,” said Orchard Supply president Rob Lynch.

Ace showcased its green initiative in March and now has “Ace Green” sections in stores that carry more than 1,000 eco-friendly products.

Helping customers find the right products with new signs goes a long way in doing that. Sheila McCuskey, an analyst for research firm Information Resources Inc., says that using in-store signs could help retailers drive sales of green products that are in demand but not always easy to find.

“One study we did shows 84% of consumers are interested in using eco-friendly products and that 30% actively look for them,” said McCuskey. “And 50% of the people who actively seek them are young adults.” She also noted that eco-friendly products are expanding into new product categories including green cleaning products, which accounted for only 1% of the market in 2006 but saw sales increase by 52%.