Technically, the Aria and Vdara have 2 Gold Certifications for the hotel and conference center respectively. The casino itself was excluded from the LEED submission. (I wonder if the protesters know this). Even if the casino area was included, smoking could be allowed in designated areas with measures taken to avoid second-hand smoke in other areas according to EQ Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control .

USGBC and GBCI allow project teams to define their buildings and sites in any way they choose, as long as the definition of site boundaries and building extents are used consistently throughout all credits. This is a crucial distinction, and a very important one. I myself am currently working on 4 LEED-CS registered projects on one campus. There is some game playing here, as one definition of a site boundary or building extents may be more advantageous for LEED certification than another. In the case of the ARIA, the casino floor is excluded from the LEED submission, a move that is completely legitimate, and yet somewhat misleading to visitors and employees. The building is advertised as a green building, and the company website proudly describes the LEED Gold certification, without any mention of the exclusion. Employees are taking issue with the green billing, and rightly so given that they will be exposed to second-hand smoke.

With over-the-top casino finishes, excess lighting, and of course, smoking on the casino floor, it is no wonder that the area was excluded. Imagine however a casino that does include the gambling floor: It could feature pleasant daylit spaces, healthier indoor air quality, green food and beverage services, innovative and energy efficient equipment for both building services as well as gambling,  and no second-hand smoke for visitors or  employees.

If any Greenbuild attendees or protesters want to chime in or provide more info, please share.

• Purchase as little as possible. Less “stuff” generally means less waste. Obtain used items from friends and family.
• What we do purchase should be of good quality, designed to last, and able to be passed on to others.
• Use safe products that are environmentally preferable and contain no or low toxins or chemicals.
• Give preference to local products and environmentally-minded companies.
• Avoid the use of disposable products.

Below are my 10 favorite products:

1. Evenflo Glass Bottles with Silikids Sleeves

I did not use plastic bottles. Evenflo glass bottles have a standard top that integrates well with Medela products. While Evenflo does not claim this in their advertising, the Medela pump attachments screw securely directly onto to the tops of Evenflow bottles. I was able to pump and store in glass bottles and never needed to use plastic storage bags or plastic bottles for milk. (If freezing milk in glass bottles, fill only to the 4oz mark to allow for some expansion). The Silikids sleeves fit snugly over the bottles, and prevent the glass from breaking if dropped. I definitely dropped several bottles, including one down a flight of stairs, and I have never broke one. I purchased 12 4 oz. Evenflo glass bottles and 6 Silikids sleeves (each sleeve comes with one Evenflo bottle). I am now having the bottles cleaned so that they can be safely passed on and reused by another baby.

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2. Organic Kidz Stainless Steel Bottles

I was thrilled with our glass bottle solution, however the daycare that we chose for our son had a “no glass” policy. Even with the silicone sleeves, it was a no exceptions sort of rule. I purchased 4 stainless steel bottles from Organic Kidz. Each morning, we transferred milk into the stainless steel bottles. #304 stainless steel is a food-grade steel product that is non-leaching and completely recyclable, although a stainless steel product should last decades. I love the product concept, but I was disappointed with the quality of this particular product.  I selected it in part because it came from Canada, relatively close to where I live in the northeast U.S. When the bottles arrived in the mail, I found out that they were made in China, and I did notice some quality issues. The tops of each bottle appeared identical, but were in fact slightly different sizes. This meant that I often had to try each top before finding the correct fit for the bottle. Other companies such as Kid Basix and Pura, now make similar products.

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3. Think Baby Feeding Set

We prepared most of our son’s food at home and sent him to daycare with 3 meals each day in this fantastic reusable feeding set from Think Baby. I did not want to purchase disposable plastic tubs of baby food, and this was a perfect solution. During my product search, I was shocked to find that many infant and child feeding sets are made with melamine, a material that is relatively stable at room temperature, but can leach at higher temperatures or when exposed to some chemicals (formaldehyde for example) that naturally occur in food. The containers are made of #304 stainless steel with a removable polypropylene exterior. I searched for simpler stainless steel bowls with lids from many kitchen supply stores as would have been satisfied with the product with out the exterior component. I was unable to find any products that had effective lids; most leaked if they were jostled around. We take these with us wherever we go, and I expect to use them for years. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Think Baby set.

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4. Graco SnugRide Infant Carseat: Sterling

Most car seats contain bromine, chlorine, and / or lead. To find the levels of each chemical in your car seat, go to HealthyStuff.org. The site lists all major brands and models and scores them based on a high, medium, or low risk level. When looking up each seat, it is critical to also enter the color, as the fabric dyes can contain significant amounts of each chemical. I chose the Graco SnugRide because it had the lowest levels of all three chemicals among all infant car seats. In fact, the seat itself contains no bromine, chlorine, or lead. The sunshade has low levels of bromine and the base has low levels of lead.

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5. UPPA baby Vista Stroller

This was by far my favorite item. The $669.99 price tag was difficult to swallow, but one year later I can confidently say that it was well worth it.  I walk whenever possible, often for several miles to run errands even in harsh winter weather. A durable stroller was a must. The UPPA baby Vista is strong, light weight, and well designed.  This came with a bassinet and a seat, so the stroller adapts as my son grows. When we traveled, my son slept in the bassinet for the first few months.  The bassinet fabric is made of organic soybean and cotton. I purchased it at a local store, and it is from a local company based in Rockland, Massachusetts. I was particularly pleased to support a company that prides itself on it’s green initiatives.

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6. Bummis Swimmi Reusable Swim Diapers

This is simply the best swim diaper out there! Bummis is a cloth diaper company that makes a reusable swim diaper. Swimmis are completely adjustable and definitely stay put. The velcro closure doesn’t budge in the water. My son really put these to the test, and they did not leak at all. They washed very easily and are more comfortable than water-logged disposable diapers.

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7. Naturepedic Organic Cotton Ultra Crib Mattress

It was difficult to find a crib mattress without vinyl or PVC, and none were available in local stores. This one from Naturepedic shipped from Ohio. We ordered it online,it arrived in only a few days, and it was virtually odorless when we opened the box. It is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Certified and Certified for Children and Schools. My son slept well on this mattress from the start. I also ordered Naturepedic’s waterproof mattress protector pad and organic sheets, and I am happy with all three products.

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8. Mossy Creek Woodworks Wooden Clacker

This simple toy quickly became one of my son’s favorites. This was purchased at A Child’s Garden, a local family owned shop. The product comes from Mossy Creek Woodworks in Arkansas. The company uses local sustainably harvested wood in all of the handmade toys. The wood is dried in a solar-kiln. This item is available in cherry that is unfinished or finished with food-grade mineral oil or beeswax.

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9. Little Monkey (Little Green Books Series)

Its soft, cute, and made of recycled polartec fleece and cotton. My son loves his Little Monkey book. He played with it as an infant and still enjoys having it read to him. Other “green” books in our collection include Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree

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10. Eco Babies Wear Green

Every once in a while, you read a book that hits so close to home it moves you to laugh or cry out loud. Eco Babies Wear Green did it for us!

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