Proper landscaping is as important to energy and water efficiency in a home as anything else. And eco-friendly mulch is the easiest way to keep that landscape healthy. Using mulch in flower beds, around sidewalks, and around trees is great for controlling erosion, keeping in the moisture, and making your plants look fabulous.
These days shredded tires, peanut shells, and pine bark and other recycled materials are all being used for sustainable landscaping projects instead of the traditional composition. Of course, your environmental footprint will most likely be greater in the long run if you have to buy an eco-friendly mulch that’s been shipped halfway around the world, but there are easy ways to create mulch with your own recycled materials.
Old newspapers make great mulch. Just shred them into small strips and spread the strips around your flower bed. Due to their tendency to clump when wet, however, its often recommended to apply them as a bottom layer, and then add different mulch on top. They will biodegrade over time and add nutrients to the soil.
Peanut shells, if you have enough of them, also work. They make a great mulch due to their chemical composition. You can mix them with leaves or compost to make a nice-looking finish. However, according to gardeners, they’re not good food for worms and therefore the natural nutrient cycling is not as effective. What’s more, there is often a risk of mold accumulation with peanut shells that can spread to your plants and harm them. Therefore, nut shells are not necessarily the best bet for your mulch, but they definitely work.
What about recycled rubber? Old tires are filling up landfills across the US—what better way to give them new purpose than to add them to your home’s landscaping? You can buy preshredded rubber at your nearest garden center or you can make it yourself. It is insect-resistant and aesthetically appealing. Rubber mulch applications are particularly common on playgrounds, but they are just as good for your sophisticated landscape bedding.
Pine bark and pine needles are the best tree materials for mulch. They have a high moisture retaining capacity and keep away insects. The substances’ high acidity contributes well to plants that require increased acid in the soil. Pine bark also retains its color longer than most other tree barks, meaning that it needs to be replaced less often.
While pine makes a great mulch, other tree products that have the same characteristics might be slightly more sustainable. Eucalyptis, for example, grows rapidly like bamboo and is highly abundant, allowing it to be harvested and regenerated in a more predictable manner than pine. But remember, it is usually more sustainable and simple to use whatever product grows nearest you.
Unfortunately, however, mulch can never beat the advantages of the compost pile. You can create a compost bin with food waste and yard clippings, then spread it throughout your flower beds. This is by far the most nutrient-enhancing mulch option for plants.
When in doubt, you can mix together most organic substances to create a fine looking and eco-friendly mulch.
A green kitchen begins with the most eco-friendly countertop. You want something that is as durable or beautiful as Corian or granite, but measures up to the highest standards for your family’s health and the environment. Luckily, many products you thought were not “green” may actually surprise you, as more countertop companies are now making their entire manufacturing operations sustainable.
So what options are out there for the health and eco-conscious? The coolest alternatives are surfaces made from recycled materials, most notably glass. Companies like 
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Pioneers in the realm of sustainable design and green building, architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart have started one of the most all-inclusive product certifications. Made famous by their 
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FLOR
Not only do most styles of FLOR meet the CRI’s Green Label Plus program, but they go a bit further to try to participate in a closed-loop product cycle. The tiles are originally made from renewable and recycled materials, and when a customer is done with their carpeting (or decide it’s time for a design change), they can send the tiles back to FLOR where the old carpet will be recycled into new products. Rather than sending old carpet directly to the landfill, FLOR is working to dramatically reduce waste and to keep their products both beautiful by design and by indoor air quality standards.
