Recycled Materials + Concrete = Cool Countertops

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Joyce Benson   2 Comments |
Tag(s): Greening the Home, Kitchens And Baths, Reclaimed Materials, Recycling

Looking for a modern, green countertop for your kitchen or bath?  Many durable, eco-friendly options are now available that will transform the look of your space.  Some forward-thinking manufacturers, here in the U.S., are adding a waste product, fly ash, to increase the green quotient of concrete and cement (most of which is not energy-intensive portland cement which emits large amounts of greenhouse gases).  In addition, they are mixing the concrete and cement with recycled materials such as glass, wood, metal and plastic, as well as reclaimed granite and marble chips. 

• ecoX by Meld (based in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a hand-crafted surface material consisting of 70% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials and cement. It’s available in 12 standard colors and virtually unlimited custom colors.
• Coverings, Etc. manufacturers Eco-Cem® and Eco-Terr surfaces.  Eco-Cem® is made from concrete and wood pulp with a 20% post-consumer recycled content and 40% pre-consumer recycled content (cellulose fiber and fly ash).  Eco-Terr® pre-cast terrazzo tiles and slabs are made of marble and granite aggregates with a cementitious binder and contain a pre-consumer recycled content of 85%.
• IceStone is a concrete and recycled glass slab surface material manufactured in Brooklyn, NY.  Available in 29 colors, it consists of 70-75% recycled content, of which 80-100% is pre-consumer waste, with the balance being post-consumer waste.  This product has received the coveted Cradle-to-Cradle certification.
• Lithistone, a custom-made, handcrafted product, consists of a natural mineral binder, different grades of sand and stone, 25-75% recycled material, and organic mineral pigments.  This Colorado-based company offers its product in 18 colors.
• Squak Mountain Stone (pictured here) is hand-made in Washington state.  It is a fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement.  It is available in slabs or tiles and in 5 colors, and resembles soapstone or limestone.
• Syndecrete is a cement-based composite surface material containing natural minerals and up to 41% recycled materials, such as metal shavings, plastic regrinds, recycled glass chips and scrap wood chips.  It is manufactured in Santa Monica and is available in 11 standard colors, but custom colors are also possible.
• Vetrazzo is solid surface material with up to 85% recycled content.  It’s made in Richmond, California, with recycled glass mixed with a binder of cement, additives, pigments and other recycled materials.  The color palette is constantly evolving, but currently consists of 14 colors.
• VitraStone combines cement with regionally sourced, post-consumer and post-industrial recycled glass.  It is hand made in Durango, Colorado and is available in 12 colors, yet custom colors are available as well.

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