Build and Rebuild » Recycled Materials

Sustain Your Sustainable Landscape With Mulch

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:27:32 +0000

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.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Sustain Your Sustainable Landscape With Mulch.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Choosing the Perfect Green Countertop

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:05:29 +0000

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.

However, out of the slew of options out there, there are a few that are not so eco-friendly. Granite, marble, quartz, engineered stone, and laminates are usually not the most sustainable. The use of raw materials is the biggest factor here. Granite, for example, requires lots of energy and disruption of land to be mined. Engineered stone, comprised of quartz, shares this negative impact on the environment, and additionally uses some harsh pigments in its production. Most of your traditional options use sealants with VOCs and other environmental contaminants. Another issue with granite is the risk of radon radiation into your home.

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 IceStone and Vetrazzo have paved the way for extremely durable, beautiful countertops made from at least 75% recycled glass with a concrete composite. IceStone is particularly committed to green design; it has been awarded the coveted MBDC Cradle to Cradle award for the thoroughness of its sustainable practices.

In addition to glass, other recycled products can be transformed into your kitchen surface. One company, called Paperstone, uses compressed recycled paper and petroleum-free resins made from cashew nuts! You wouldn’t think paper would act as a very resilient countertop, but this product is actually incredibly durable and has received great ratings.

What about wood and concrete? Concrete is a bit less expensive, very heat resistant and can be morphed into any shape you desire. It is also considered to be “green” by many sources, as recycled aggregate is often used. Its also much easier to chose your own sealer: low VOC-emitting sealants are easy to find. Wood surfaces are generally durable and easy to clean; they are also available with forest products certified by FSC, making them just as green as the recycled glass.

The key to finding an eco-friendly surface is to be prepared for the maze of impressive sounding eco-labels. To be competitive, all top-of-the-line countertop companies are saying they’re “green” in some way. This is particularly true with the granite, quartz and marble countertop manufacturers, who may have made some green steps in their operations, but at the end of the day, mining is still incredibly environmentally unfriendly. Make sure you do the research on all of the eco certifications before you are greenwashed into thinking a product is completely sustainable.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Choosing the Perfect Green Countertop.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Cradle to Cradle Certification: Sustainability at its Finest

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:08:08 +0000

Over the past few years we’ve been hit by a wave of new eco-friendly product labels, designed to help consumers pick out the most sustainable brands. But in the long list of certifications, one of them stands out as the most comprehensive: Cradle to Cradle.

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 book by the same name, published in 2002, their entire approach to sustainability trumps all others because they envision products that can be entirely recycled or biodegraded at the end of their life cycle.

What’s more, a product can only be certified by Cradle to Cradle if the company adheres to principles of social justice in its relationship with employees and the community at large. One of the founding principles of the C2C philosophy is that industry and the environment can be compatible; capitalism and ecological goals can and should work simultaneously in the new industrial age. Waste does not need to exist. Smart design is good for the planet, the people, and the economy. They call it the New Industrial Revolution.

Cradle to Cradle has concentrated its efforts on certifying green building products, although one of its most recognized customers is the U.S. Postal Service, which uses paper and a manufacturing process that are incredibly sustainable. Its green building companies include Steelcase, ACCO brands, TimberSIL Wood Products, Centria, Herman Miller Inc., and Eagle Corporation concrete products. From small to large, companies the world over have to meet extremely rigorous qualifications to get this prestigious certification.

Take IceStone LLC, a Brooklyn-based company that manufactures countertops from reclaimed glass and operates by a triple-bottom line approach to business (people, profit, and planet). What exactly did they have to do to get their Silver Cradle to Cradle product certification? The five main categories in the criteria program are material health (i.e. no harmful chemicals), material reutilization (i.e. can it be recycled at the end of its lifecycle?), water usage in the manufacturing process, energy use, and social responsibility. The company must generate or buy a significant portion of its energy from clean sources. The water used in the industrial process must be limited to grey water systems and have strict chemical quality standards.

From a design standpoint, the material reutilization component is one of the most interesting and challenging; most companies haven’t received the Gold rating yet because designing for complete reintegration into the environment is something very new in industry. Still, all Cradle to Cradle products like IceStone countertops have been given a thorough life-cycle analysis and take the environment into account at every step of the industrial process, from manufacturing to shipping to how well the company treats its employees. Most eco-labels are not yet this comprehensive.

McDonough and Braungart have a special interest in materials and surfaces, from carpets to house siding. Centria is a C2C-certified brand that specializes in roofing and siding materials. Its innovative roof panels, for example, are not only made with recycled materials and meet the rigorous manufacturing qualifications, but their insulating capacities will increase the energy efficiency of the building they’re installed on. The company’s EcoScreen products are perforated screen walls that provide air circulation and ventilation for indoor or outdoor applications.

Cradle to Cradle’s innovation in design, sustainability and industrial philosophy have helped it become recognized as one of the most comprehensive and prestigious certification systems available.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Cradle to Cradle Certification: Sustainability at its Finest.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

How To Be Healthy and Love the Environment When Buying Carpet

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:58:55 +0000

We can pretty much all recognize that particular odor, the ‘new carpet’ smell. Whether in a new office building or a renovated room in the house, it’s usually advisable to immediately ventilate the space so that head-ache inducing smell can dissipate. So what is causing that, anyway?

New carpets can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the latex backing and adhesives, as well as the carpet itself. The particular ‘new carpet’ odor is usually caused by 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH) which is emitted from the styrene butadiene rubber that is used to hold carpet fibers and backing together. Some of these chemicals can adversely affect indoor air quality, and can cause occupants to feel dizzy or have trouble breathing. Since we spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors, indoor air quality is becoming a critical component of staying healthy and re-affirming the importance of using green products in our environments.

The Carpet and Rug Institute conducts research to bring manufacturers, designers, architects and home-owners accurate information about carpets and carpet adhesives. They put together a program in 1992 called the Green Label program, and have recently added the Green Label Plus program which tests carpet, cushions and adhesives for VOCs. Their research enables customers to buy products with the lowest VOC emissions on the market, thus improving their health and surrounding environment.

FLOR, a company selling modular carpeting by the square, is innovative both in its environmental practices and its design. They manufacture 19.7 inch square carpet tiles, which can be mixed and matched to create unique, personalized design solutions for any size space. If a house guest accidentally spills some red wine on the new carpet it’s not a problem. Just pull up the tile, send it back to FLOR for a replacement, pop in the new tile and it’s as good as new. These tiles are not only beautiful and versatile, but also extremely eco-friendly.

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.

When it comes to purchasing new carpet for a renovated room, or a new house, make sure to do your green homework. The Carpet and Rug Institute has given us the means to make more sound, environmentally-conscious decisions while companies are getting in line to produce the most beautiful, versatile, and green products on the market.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at How To Be Healthy and Love the Environment When Buying Carpet.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Earthships: The Sustainable Dwelling System

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:01:13 +0000

Imagine a self-sustaining dwelling that seems to have a life of its own—sheltering its inhabitants, providing food, supplying energy needs, and transforming waste. Are you in love yet? An Earthship is much more than a home; it’s an integration of harmonious systems akin to those in the human body.

Made largely of natural and recycled materials, Earthships have been more than forty years in the making. According to their creator Michael Reynolds, they can be built in any climate.

The need for heating and cooling in an Earthship is drastically reduced (or even eliminated) by the earth-bermed, passive solar design. The north side of a traditional earthship is constructed of stacked earth-filled tires, which are then earth-bermed. This significant amount of thermal mass keeps the interior temperature relatively stable. The tires are stacked in U shapes, each forming a room. Interior walls can also be constructed out of recycled material—cans in cement. The front of an Earthship is comprised of greenhouse windows with planters immediately inside. Planters serve a triple purpose—their vegetation cleanses the air; they provide growing space for food; and they serve as a greywater treatment system.

An Earthship’s roof is designed to collect water which is then channeled to a cistern. Once filtered, it is used four times:

For regular household use, excluding the toilet.
Passes through the interior botanical cells (planters).
Flushes the toilet.
Passes through to exterior botanical cells (outside plantings).

The exterior botanical cells are contained and work in concert with a conventional septic tank to satisfy many code requirements.

Part of the appeal of Earthships is that they can be owner-built. Although the process of filling and stacking tires is undeniably labor-intensive, it is relatively straightforward and does not require years of experience.

As with any basic housing design, an Earthship can be as sustainable as ingenuity and budget allow. Some homeowners are connected to the grid and have traditional drywall instead of can walls, while others stay more faithful to the original design.

This enthusiastic overview barely scratches the surface of all things Earthship. Ready to get your hands dirty? To learn more, visit http://www.earthship.net.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Earthships: The Sustainable Dwelling System.