From funky furniture made from recycled plastic bags to gorgeous countertops manufactured from the glass of old traffic light lenses, this year’s GreenBuild Conference & Expo is home to a plethora of innovative manufacturers using recycled materials in a variety of different products for the home.
What does this mean for everyday homeowners? With the advancements in companies’ manufacturing and product development processes, today’s homeowners have more opportunities now than ever before to choose products for their home that are safer and more durable -- and also help to reduce their carbon footprint.
Below are our top four picks for the best recycled building products we’ve seen at GreenBuild 2009.
1. Vetrazzo
Made from recycled glass, Vetrazzo exquisite glass countertops are a great eco-friendly addition to any home. Even cooler, Vetrazzo provides homeowners with a Certificate of Transformation that tells you exactly where your glass came from such as bottles from curbside recycling programs or from post industrial waste like windows, dinnerware, stemware, automotive windshields and even decommissioned traffic lights. Visit www.vetrazzo.com for more information.
2. Rotoluxe, (pictured)
As we walked up and down the aisles at GreenBuild, Rotoluxe caught our attention due to its fresh, unique and contemporary furniture designs -- as this glowing planter shows. Offering true “cradle to cradle” products, Rotoluxe’s indoor/outdoor furniture is made from 100 percent post-consumer waste and is 100 percent recyclable. Check out www.rotoluxe.com for more information.
3. Vermont Natural Coatings
Using whey, a by-product of cheese making that pollutes our rivers, lakes and oceans, and turning away from using petroleum, a non-renewable resource that oil-based wood finishes and other coatings use, Vermont Natural Coatings has created a professional wood finish gone green. Aside from their beauty, Vermont Natural Coatings are long lasting and safe for your family. Check out www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com for a retailer near you.
4. Eco Domo
Eco Domo recycled leather tiles are a gorgeous eco-friendly alternative to traditional flooring and interior furnishings. Available in crocodile or buffalo recycled leather texture, Eco Domo offers luxurious and stylish flooring and interior furnishing options for today’s eco-savvy homeowners. Visit www.ecodomo.com for more information.
There you have it, our top four picks for the best recycled building materials showcased at GreenBuild. Stay tuned for more of our favorite finds from GreenBuild.
GreenBuild is an international conference and expo on bringing green living to Main Street. It is being covered for BobVila.com by the editors of EcoNewsNetwork.org, a blog that provides news, trends and commentary on ecological issues, challenges, products, processes, science and leisure.
I think we can all agree that a couch should be comfortable, stable and absolutely not burn people who sit on it. Unfortunately, Consumer Reports says over 1,600 people in the United Kingdom have suffered skin rashes and burns from Chinese-made leather sofas and one person died. After an investigation, it was determined the couches had been exposed to dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a chemical used to prevent mold from growing on the leather during shipment. Exposure to this chemical can cause "serious skin sores, blisters, rashes and eye irritation." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has not yet received any consumer complaints about leather sofas but is aware of the issue. If you have experienced skin rashes that may be related to leather furniture, report it to the CPSC.
Every new president is allotted $100,000 plus an allowance from the White House Historical Association to revamp the estate. According to New York magazine, Laura Bush spent $74,000 from the White House Historical Association funds on a set of china during her residency in the presidential abode. The Obamas recently announced that all their renovation plans will be paid for not from taxpayers' money or from private funds but from their own wallets.
Camille Johnston, director of communications for the First Lady, said that the Obamas “are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters.” Instead, they've hired Hollywood decorator Michael S. Smith whose clientele includes media mogul Rupert Murdoch and star director Steven Spielberg to do the job.
The White House has declined to comment about the expenses out of courtesy of preserving the privacy of the Obamas' budget, but it's transparent that the first family is taking fiscal responsibility during a tough time in the economy.
"Why shouldn't a sink be the knockout in the room?," asks author of Real Life Kitchens, Lyn Peterson. Since sinks are the foundational element to preparing any meal, it's no surprise that Native Trails has implemented unique styles and designs to their sinks, which could easily become the centerpiece of your kitchen.
Made of copper, hammered nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and even recycled aluminum, these metal eye-catchers are fantastic if you want one jewel for your kitchen or a great opportunity if you're planning to install an additional sink. A way to impress the in-laws: bring them into the kitchen and let them help prepare that feast on your new island with the brushed nickel-finished Luna Sink.
Kitchen designer Pat Gaylor says, “A sink with a bit of artistry makes a kitchen design a very personal thing, and individual style is what savvy clients want.”
More than 500,000 cribs from Stork Craft are being recalled due to a problem with the support bracket that can create a suffocation risk. The brackets supporting the mattress and mattress board can crack and break. So far, 10 incidents of brackets breaking have been reported. All Stork Craft baby cribs manufactured between May 2000 and November 2008 are affected. The manufacture date is located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. Owners of the crib should stop using the product immediately and contact Stork Craft at 866-361-3321 or Storkcraft.com to receive a free replacement kit with new support brackets.
Two infant deaths have prompted the recall of nearly 1.6 million cribs by Delta Enterprises of New York. Drop-side cribs manufactured by the company may lack a safety peg or have spring pegs that have become worn after many uses. The company has set up a Web site to help owners of these cribs with the recall process. Customers can also call the company at 1-800-816-5304. All parents are reminded to never use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts.
Prominent retailer Wal-Mart continues to stock Simplicity bassinets despite three baby deaths connected to the product. According to this consumer affairs news story, the death of two infants was caused by the faulty frame on the Winnie the Pooh 4-in-1 Simplicity Bassinet. The police report says the frame on the bassinet collapsed and crushed the two children. In a separate report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on August 21, a five-month-old girl was strangled to death when she became entrapped between a Simplicity bassinet's metal bars. Although the product has not yet been officially recalled, the CPSC is actively investigating.
In 2007, more than a million Simplicity cribs were recalled after the deaths of four children were linked to the product. According to Consumer Affairs, the manufacturer appears to no longer be in business. Calls to the Simplicity headquarters by the Consumer Affairs reporter were greeted by a pre-recorded message stating: "Simplicity, Inc. is no longer in business and we no longer service Simplicity, Inc. products." Sounds like a step in the right direction. Now, let's get these products out of the market.
