Utah Utes LED Decor

What does it mean to be green? Here is a small list of examples;

-Products that are made from recycled or salvaged materials
-Conserves natural recourses such as oil (plastic)
-uses less water or energy
-Products that don't use or create toxic materials or emissions
-Low VOCs & HAPs
-The product is easy to recycle
-The product provides a long service life (require fewer replacement cycles)

HAPs Hazardous air pollutants 
VOC is an acronym for volatile organic compound. These compounds react with atmospheric ozone, along with particulates, to form smog. Smog is thought to be a major contributor to air pollution and health problems, such as asthma.

Designing with Green Materials

I started with salvaged cedar.

Selecting a "green" indoor adhesive pick one with low VOCs or formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Titebond wood glue CONFORMS TO ASTM D-4236. titebond.com proudly shows data for all their adhesives because they are high above the standards.

Selecting a "green" wood putty I think woodwise.com says it best about their product:
WOODWISE wood fillers were developed for water and solvent based stains and finishes. These environmentally friendly wood fillers contain no harsh solvents, and do an outstanding job of filling cracks, nail holes, gouges and broken edges.
Eco Friendly Data for their putty can also be found on their website.

Selecting "green" electrical wire look for halogen-free RoHS-compliant materials, PVC Free (The production, use and disposal of PVC release hazardous chlorine-based chemicals such as dioxin), and Lead Free.
That is exactly what Totoku electrical wire offers. 
http://www.totoku.com/products/cables/cat8/environmentally-friendly-type-electric-wire.php

Selecting "green" solder look for, low VOC, halogen-free, lead-free products. Check out Alpha cored wire.
http://alpha.alent.com/Products/Cored-Wire
Or make your own with an instructable by burningsuntech

Selecting "green" paint zero-VOC paints that also use VOC-free colorants, are free of vinyl and other plasticizers and include no toxic biocides. See if Green Seal, Greenguard and Ecolabel test your paint to ensure that they have met the highest standards of eco-friendly performance. Or you use Natural Casein paints are made primarily from milk proteins, lime, and non-toxic pigments.
I used Glidden from HomeDepot because they have Utah University Crimson Red. They say it is Low VOC and eco friendly on their website but aren't as open with details like the materials listed above. Maybe not the best option.
The "trim tray" bucket I used to hold my paint in is biodegradable and the paintbrush is reusable. I'm going to reuse the stick I used to stir the paint to fix a hole in my sheet rock. 

Selecting "green" screws look for RoHS, WEE, and ELV Compliant. 

Selecting "green" perf board look for look for RoHS, WEE, and ELV Compliant.

I soldered the LEDs without cutting the leads so they can easily be reused in the future. All the wire, resisters, LEDs can easily be removed/replaced with a soldering iron and anti-soldering braid. The transformer can be unplugged and used in other projects while the U isn't in use. 

I added a button that turns on/off the LEDs to reduce power, although I think the transformer may still use some power.

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