Improving Environmental Performance of Landscapes: Sustainability, LCA, Sites

Environmental awareness has given way to multiple concrete actions including voluntary standards for environmental metrics. The popular LEED, FSC, SITES programs are prominent examples of green product certifications that have grown in importance to the overall market. Both positive progress and unintended consequences have resulted from companies’ efforts to improve the environmental performance of their products. Recently life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools have become more accessible for use by suppliers and consumers in planning and procurement decision-making. The emerging role of LCA and sustainably certified products is the focus point for this discussion.  A review of the major sustainability initiatives will show how the leading producers of raw and manufactured products are hewing to a common platform of evaluation criteria. Despite the commonality of these evolving sustainability criteria, both consumers and the producers have much to learn. Today there are far too many certification requirements for growers to address.  The Sustainable Sites Initiative, also known as SITES, will be used as an example of a voluntary standard. The goal of improving the environmental performance of landscapes is complex and involves tradeoffs. LCA rating systems provide a new and important method for analyzing tradeoffs required by green designs. The pros and cons of each, and the hard choices available to producers, landscapers and consumers can be viewed through the lens that LCA and sustainable criteria provide. Despite the continuous improvements in efficiency and product quality, modern plant production practices have been largely ignored in the process of formalizing common sustainability metrics.  Essential ingredients and processes used in conventional horticulture have been poorly understood and even marginalized. Peat moss will be used as an example of how environmental progress may lead to unintended consequences.  An essential product for plant media in the production of plug-and-liner and high-end starter plant industry, peat moss has been vilified without an analysis of the science or practical alternatives of use by the horticultural industry. Today and tomorrow’s considerations for sustainable sourcing and the use of LCA in decision-making will continue to evolve.