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Criteria used in evaluating green building materials involves the following issues. The materials or systems should have or be:

1. Low embodied energy. The total amount of energy required to manufacture a product should be as little as possible. This includes considering resource excavation and extraction from the Earth, use of manmade materials in production, and complexity of manufacture. The simpler the process, the less harm done to the environment.

Vast amounts of energy are used in the production of building products. One product’s “embodied energy,” sometimes involves a complex series of processes that contribute heavily to the pollution of our environment, the depletion of natural resources and the degredation of the Earth. This embodied energy includes the energy it takes to extract minerals and raw materials from the Earth, the fuel it takes to transport the material to the manufacturing site, and the energy used at the plant to make the product. Also included is the energy it takes to use and, later, dispose of the product.

Some natural resources, like wood, have low embodied energy, because they can be processed in a relatively simple form from tree to 2x4. Aluminum window frames, on the other hand, require the extraction of minerals form the Earth, and the complexity of aluminum production, adding up to an embodied energy many times than that of wood. Use of products with low embodied energies can begin to slow harmful effects of industrial production.
Raw materials:
— What and how many kinds of raw materials were used in the manufacture of this
product?
— Are any of these raw materials renewable?
— Where do they come from, and how are they shipped to the manufacture site?
Manmade products
— What kind of manmade products, such as molds or templates, are used in the manufacture of this product?
— What means of reuse or disposal are available for these products?
Process
— What is the process of manufacture for this product?
— How are is the product transported to distributors?
— How is waste from the manufacturing process handled, and is any of it recycled or reused?
— What is the packaging made up of? Is it recyclable?
— Can the product be reused or recycled after its first use?

5. Energy Efficient: Products use as little energy as possible. Construction and operation of buildings produces almost half of the world’s energy use. With a few key strategies, designers and builders can reduce energy loads on structures, reducing energy requirements and the strain on natural resources. Proper siting for maximum solar orientation, operable windows for natural cross-ventilation (eliminating or lessening the need for air conditioning), insulation with higher R-values, water-saving devices and more efficient appliances can all work to lessen energy needs. Consideration of alternate energy source use, such as wind, solar and tidal power, can help alleviate reliance on traditional fossil fuel sources.
— List energy sources used in production process.
— Are any measures taken by manufacturer to reduce energy requirements during production?
— Does the product lessen or eliminate heating and cooling loads?
— Does the product provide daylighting, which reduces lighting needs?

6. Low Environmental Impact: Products do not harm the environment, pollute air or water, or cause damage to the earth, its inhabitants and its ecosystems in their manufacture, use or disposal. They are non-toxic and contribute to good indoor air quality. Worldwide industrial production uses billions of tons of raw materials every year, some irreplaceable or finite. Pollution caused in excavation, manufacture, use or disposal of a product can have untold consequences on the Earth’s ecosystem. Poor indoor air quality caused by product offgassing or VOC emission costs billions in medical bills and lost productivity to companies every year. Manufacture and use of green building products should strive to lessen the impacts on the Earth.
— Does the product's manufacturing process damage the earth, cause air or water pollution, or damage ecosystems?
— Does transportation of raw materials to manufacturing site, or shipping of product to distribution sites cause significant air or water pollution?
— Are toxic or hazardous products used in the manufacture of this product? If so, how are they disposed of?
— Does the product off-gas, or emit carcinogens or electromagnetic waves into the air? If so, for how long?
— Is waste water from manufacture reclaimed?
— Does the product's use involved any significant health risk to consumers?
— Does the product’s disposal involved any significant health risk (i.e. leaching toxins)?
— Does the product's use eliminate the need for another, possibly non-renewable, product? Does it lessen the amount needed of another, more environmentally-costly product? (i.e. steel braces on wood trusses help eliminate the amount of wood needed in the truss; waterless toilets and urinals eliminate the need for water.)
— Does the product contain any of these harmful chemicals?

8. Minimize Waste: Products produce as little waste as possible in their manufacture, use and disposal. Buildings are tremendous generators of waste. In America, enough garbage is produced every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks. Landfills are overflowing, especially with construction waste, which accounts for 40% of the usage at landfills. By utilizing methods of reuse and recycling of scrap and trimmings, employing strategies that minimize waste through the life cycle of a product, manufacturers can radically reduce the amount of products that are put into the waste stream.

9. Positive Social Impact: Products should contribute to a higher, healthier quality of life for users and are a better replacement because of what isn’t in them. A green product doesn't not exist without a major impact on the social strata. People that mine the earth, manufacture, distribute, consume, recycle or demolish products all have a stake in that product. Consideration of their treatment, health and well-being is an integral part of the product’s integrity. Humane treatment and a fair wage for workers should be a part of the green equation. Also in consideration should be the users' well-being and overall health in regard to the product. Increasing daylighting in a building not only helps reduce energy loads, but often makes workers more productive.
— Does the product produce or help produce cleaner air and/or water?
— Is the product associated with daylighting, which helps save energy and provides a more positive, healthier environment?
— Does the product help contribute to a sense of community?
— What is the labor source involved in producing this product?

10. Affordable: Products are not significantly more costly than their counterpart conventional building materials. Payback period (initial costs recouped through lower long-term operating and maintenance costs) is reasonable. Green building products will not become mainstream until they are ubiquitous in the marketplace, which will happen largely due to costs comparable to traditional counterparts. It should be noted that many transnational competitors are mass-producing, distributing and marketing their products manufactured overseas with cheap labor and lower environmental standards. Wise consumers are attracted to the best price for the most value, and with the added caveat of environmental awareness, products should move more readily among a segment of the population. Consideration of life-cycle costs against first-costs is very important. While the product might be more expensive at first, it should pay for itself with five years with reduced energy costs, replacement and maintenance cost, and worker productivity.
— What are counterpart conventional materials, and what do they cost (first-cost and long-term cost)?
— What are the maintenance costs of this product versus maintenance costs of counterpart conventional materials?
— Is the environmental cost of using the product significantly better than its conventional counterpart?