How Cutting Edge™ is Eco-Friendly
LEED Building Types for Cutting Edge™
LEED credit points for Cutting Edge™
Why Get Green Landscaping

Cutting Edge™ is eco-friendly in the following ways:

• Little to No Cutting, Watering or Fertilizing*:
   1) Less mowing reduces emissions from maintenance equipment
   2) Less watering helps preserve a natural resource
   3) Less fertilizing reduces chemical usage
                

• Uses Recycled Packaging

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Cutting Edge™ can help you earn points towards your LEED Certification. Ideally suited for many LEED projects:

• New Construction and Major Renovations
• Existing Building Operations and Maintenance
• Schools
• Retail
• Homes

• Water-Efficient Landscaping
• Innovation in Design
• Sustainable Site Credit - Integrated Pest Management, Erosion Control and Landscape Management

Why Green Landscaping

The US Environmental Protection Agency notes many local, regional and global benefits to green landscaping.

Local Benefits

“Locally, smog and air toxics can be drastically reduced by the virtual elimination of the need for lawn maintenance equipment which is fueled by gasoline, electricity or batteries. All of these fuel types are associated with the emissions of the following air pollutants: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and air toxics such as benzene. Gasoline lawn and garden equipment, on average, produces 5% of ozone-forming VOCs in areas with smog problems. This equipment also emits toxics and particulates."

Regional Benefits

“Regionally, the nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide release from lawn maintenance equipment react with water in the atmosphere to form acid rain... Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas and by reducing the use of lawn maintenance equipment, the associated CO2 emissions are also reduced.” The EPA also states that plants with extensive root systems further reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by "taking in CO2 and storing the carbon in the body of the plants, roots and soil... [Plants with extensive root systems] work much better than traditional mowed grass as a carbon sink due to their…increased ability to retain and store water.”

Global Benefits

Globally, the EPA warns that pesticides can cause serious health problems and that by reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides and fertilizers, these chemicals will not run off into water systems.

*Little to no maintenance once established and subject to soil and environmental conditions