This article is a special online feature accompanying the 2007 Top 10 Green Building Products supplement to the August 2007 issue of Sustainable Industries. Download the supplement to see the 2007 winners on the Downloads page!

The last decade has seen tremendous progress in what green building aficionados call “market transformation”, the rise in availability, diversity and affordability of environmentally friendly products and services.

Third-party certification organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), often have online presence offering findings about their area of expertise -- sustainable wood harvesting practices in the case of FSC. Government sources are evolving as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a database of approved biobased products, and the U.S. Department of Energy Web site offers case studies of products and materials used in sustainable buildings around the country through its High Performance Buildings Database.

Many manufacturers are also beginning to provide greater depth to their online presence with third-party testing results, examples and sourcing information. In the case of many products and materials, a simple Google search can net countless websites around the world offering buying and research information.

On the whole, however, architects and builders say, the resources available for procuring and regulating sustainable materials are a patchwork, lacking a centralized clearinghouse.

Sustainable Industries asked West Coast green builders about key resources everyone looking to find and choose green building products should know.