Whether you’re renovating an old house or upgrading in new construction, there are many options for new green flooring and wall tile.  A wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles, from traditional to contemporary, are available.

Tile not only adds value to your home, but it is long-lasting, easy-to-clean and attractive.  Plus, tile can be used in high traffic areas, many times outdoors, and of course in interior rooms.   It looks great in any room of the house, including kitchens (backsplashes, countertops, flooring), living rooms (fireplace surrounds, stair risers), baths and laundry rooms (wall surrounds, flooring) and foyers (flooring).

Many of the following tiles are made in the U.S.A and even qualify for LEED points if your project is adhering to the U.S. Green Building Council’s guidelines.

• American Olean’s Greenworks line offers tiles composed of varying amounts of pre- and post-consumer recycled materials.
• The color range of Aurora Glass recycled glass tiles varies from amethyst, apricot, colbalt, emerald, aqua blue and clear.  Square field tiles and rosette tiles are offered by this non-profit company.
• Bedrock Industries‘ handcrafted glass tiles (pictured above) are made with only post-consumer and post-industrial recycled glass.  The company’s BlazeStone Tile is available in decorative and field tiles in a myriad of shapes and sizes.
• Coverings, Etc. manufactures Eco-Terr tiles made from natural re-cycled stone components.
• Crossville, Inc. offers many choices for tiles containing recycled content.  It’s Mixology and Urban Renewal lines have a minimum of 50% post-consumer recycled content.  The company has implemented a Tile Take-Back program where consumers, designers, anyone, can give Crossville sample tiles, as well as previously installed ceramic and porcelain tiles!  They take back tiles for free, but you’ll need to pay for shipping.
• Eleek Inc. offers cool metal tiles made from “recycled aluminum (100% recycled, with 70—100% post-consumer content) or bronze (at least 90% recycled and at least half of that post-consumer material)”.
• All EnviroGLAS products contain post-consumer recycled glass and/or post-industrial porcelain.  The company’s unique EnviroPLANK line comes in 6″ x 36″ x 1/2″, 12″ x 36″ x 1/2″ and 24″ x 36″ x 1/2″ sizes.  They also offer shower walls measuring 60″ x 72″ x 1/2″.
• FireClay Tile‘s Crush 100% Recycled Glass Tile is a handcrafted glass tile created from 100% pre-consumer (with a goal to convert to 100% post-consumer) recycled glass.  Its Debris Series comes in 112 glazed colors containing over 60% recycled content (pre- and post-consumer).
• Innovative Ceramics uses 55% or more recycled glass from post-consumer (bottles) and post industrial (car windshields) in their wide array of beautiful, durable Vision Recycled Tiles.
• Oceanside Glasstile creates iridescent and translucent decorative, field and mosaic glass tiles.
• TerraGreen Ceramics has been making recycled content tile since the 1970′s!  Today’s tile has over 55% recycled content.

I have been amazed by the array of recycled glass objects (vases, pitchers, wall art, ornaments, home accessories, cheese plates, sculptures, lighting, even jewelry) that look like beautiful pieces of art.  Sometimes the new objects retain the character of the original glass bottles, while other times, the glass has been melted down to reveal completely new forms.

These handcrafted works of art add a touch of whimsy and a shimmer of light to any decor.

• Ideas on Legs (pictured here):  Afton, Virginia
• Melting Grounds:  Portland, Oregon
• Reborn Glass:  Cape Coral, Florida
• Wolf Art Glass:  Austin, Texas

Tumbled recycled glass can also be used out of doors in fire-pits, fountains, fish ponds, pathways and as colorful mulch!  Read my earlier post here about the many uses in the landscape.

Looking for a quick fix to jazz up your outdoor spaces?  Try adding colorful accent rugs and doormats.  A wide variety of sizes and styles, from traditional patterns to whimsical motifs, are available.  They’re made of weather-resistant, recycled materials and brighten up any patio, deck or porch.  

• “Mad Mats,” made by Philadelphia-based Mariachi Imports, are composed of recycled plastic and feature fantastic floral, geometric, ethnic and traditional designs.  They’re available in many sizes and colors to complement any outdoor room.  (pictured above)
• Gaiam offers hand-crafted, reversible Turkish patterned rugs made from recycled soda bottles in 6′x9′ and 4′x6′ sizes.  You’ll also find door mats made from reclaimed marine rope or flip-flop foam!
• VivaTerra has many different stain-resistant styles on hand, from Moroccan and Oriental patterns to stripes and florals (made from recycled plastic bottles and packing materials).  Available sizes are:  4′x6′, 5′x8′ and 6′x9′.
• Pottery Barn‘s Tauna Kilim Indoor/Outdoor Rug is handwoven from recycled polyester yarn and is available in numerous sizes.  Williams-Sonoma sells a recycled plastic rug in a great graphic print by designer Thom Filicia.  Both of these companies sell many kinds of outdoor rugs, however the ones mentioned here are the only ones with earth-friendly characteristics.  Perhaps if many people sent them a note requesting more green products, we could make a difference together.  Other Thom Filicia recycled rugs are available through QVC, Overstock.com and CSN stores.

This post is brought to you by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition.

“Did the holidays bring you new gadgets?  Here’s how to recycle your old ones.

Electronic gadgets were at the top of many holiday shopping lists again this year, with iPads and Kindles fueling a lot of the buying frenzy. The biggest sellers were e-readers, tablet computers, smart phones, HD TVs and video games consoles and accessories.

So what should you do with your old stuff – the items these shiny new gadgets replaced? Or the even older ones – the dead cell phones, PDAs, and iPods stashed in your dead gadget drawer, or the old printer or TV tucked away in the basement?  It’s pretty easy to keep a recycling resolution, with the help of the our Guide To Recycling Your Electronics. Here are the basics, with a lot more information available in the Guide.

Don’t Trash Old Electronics
The easiest (but worst) thing to do is to toss the old items in the trash. These gadgets contain toxic chemicals, which we don’t want seeping out of landfills and into groundwater, or creating toxic air emissions from incinerators. Plus they take up a lot of room in overcrowded landfills. And most contain metals that can be recovered and reused.

Donate for reuse
If your old item still works and is pretty current, it can probably be reused. Many cities have local, non-profit reuse organizations, which will refurbish electronics for use in local underserved communities. You can usually find these by contacting your local county solid waste agency.  If you don’t find one, consider the National Cristina Foundation, which matches donated computers to charities and agencies, or the World Computer Exchange, which sends requested working items to educational institutions in developing countries.

Recycle
If reuse is not an option, then please take it to an electronics recycler. Make sure your old product gets to a responsible recycler – one who will actually recycle it, and not ship it off to a developing nation, where old electronics are causing terrible health and environmental harm. The best way to do that is to work with a recycler who is part of the e-Stewards network. E-Stewards recyclers adhere to the highest standards in the industry, including a firm commitment not to export non-working or untested e-waste to developing nations. Many e-Stewards also refurbish products for reuse.

If there is no e-Steward near you, then there are many takeback programs run by the manufacturers and retailers (especially Best Buy), most of which are free. See our website’s Guide to Recycling Your Electronics for information and links to all of these manufacturer takeback programs. Some of these programs have trade-in options, which will give you money back for certain items, especially cell phones and laptops. The Guide includes details on these trade-in options as well.

Happy New Year and thanks for taking the time to recycle!”

If you’re looking for something special to spruce up your home or garden, recycled metal sculptures offer artistic flair combined with eco-friendliness.  These individual artists create one-of-a-kind works of art, most of which are even functional:

• Experienced Materials is the place to find whimsical rain chains, mobiles, sconces, art panels and screen door panels crafted by Gina Nash.
• Leo Razzi reclaims wrought iron, scrap metal and other materials to create his masterpieces of gates, door knockers, benches (like the one pictured here), wall art and window boxes.
• The unique birds, dogs, dinosaurs, other creatures and abstract pieces that artist Erik at Recycled Metal Sculptures handcrafts are amazing.

Tumbled, recycled glass (with no sharp edges) can be integrated into landscapes to create striking focal points.  Imagine its use in fountains, fire-pits, fish ponds, pathways, mulch beds and gardens.  Add color to beautify desert-scapes without the use of thirsty plants!  From post-consumer bottles to post-industrial window scraps, recycled glass is available in a wide variety of colors and sizes for all sorts of applications.

Since glass takes about 1000 years to decompose, recycling is the perfect solution.  It’s ideal in the landscape too, since it doesn’t fade or need replacing year after year.  Plus, it’s a deterrent to garden pests, such as slugs, since they don’t like to crawl on it!

Where to find it:

• American Specialty Glass based in Utah
• Ask ‘Em Enterprises of Pulaski, Wisconsin
• Close the Loop located in Pennsylvania
• Conigliaro Industries of Massachusetts
• EnviroGlas based in Texas
• Sierra Tumbled Glass of California

In Part I of this series on eco-friendly outdoor furniture, I focused on those made with reclaimed wine barrels and other sustainable woods.  Here, innovative creations made from recycled skis, snowboards and HDPE plastic are highlighted.

1. Green Mountain Ski Furniture out of Waterbury Center, Vermont, offers an extensive line of durable outdoor furnishings.  They accept donated skis and boards and will create a custom piece just for you from your very own equipment.
2. Reeski, based in Aspen, Colorado, recycles about 12,000 pounds of skis and snowboards annually to create cool picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and benches.  They offer custom-made products too.
3. Vermont Ski Recyclers out of Morrisville, Vermont, also saves tons of industry discards from becoming solid waste.  Their line includes tables, chairs, barstools, even a settee!
4. Made-in-the-USA, the mod recycled plastic furnishings that Loll Designs creates are durable, easy-to-care-for and stylish. (pictured here).
5. Recycled milk jugs and detergent bottles are used to make the wide assortment of furniture that Poly-Wood, Inc. offers. Classic Adirondack chairs, benches, rockers, and tables are available in many color choices.

As I’ve previously mentioned in Part I of this series of posts, there are many options for the environmentally-conscious shopper, even when it comes to buying interior doors.  I had focused on beautiful, reclaimed wood doors that add instant character and richness to any home.  Here, I’ll highlight residential and commercial doors made with recycled content.

• Humabilt’s high quality, sustainable interior doors, available in a variety of designs, sizes, wood species and glass panels, are composed of 85% waste wheat straw and free of synthetic [urea] formaldehyde.  Their wide selection of finely-crafted, yet affordable, styles is available in both paint- and stain-grade doors. The company is located in the quaint, picturesque town of Ashland, Oregon, with a centrally-located manufacturing facility to service the entire United States.
• TruStile offers an extensive line of MDF doors (pictured here) certified by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) which contain 82% recycled content and are manufactured with low-emitting adhesives and primers.  There’s even an MDF option with no-added formaldehyde.
• CraftsMaster’s interior doors are SCS-certified to contain recycled content, plus no added urea formaldehyde.  Its molded door designs contain a minimum of 25% pre-consumer recycled wood content, the Hollow core Green Doors contain a minimum of 23% recycled content, and solid core Green Doors contain a minimum of 48% recycled content.
• Jeld-Wen’s molded hollow core slab interior doors are SCS certified to include at least 60 percent recycled content. The facings themselves are made from 80 percent recycled content.  The company’s molded bifold doors contain at least 25 percent recycled content.

To start off the new year right, you may be cleaning out your closets to make room for new holiday gifts of clothing and shoes.  Likely, you have a pile of old pieces that are still useable, but some are probably not wearable any longer.  It’s easy to donate your wearable clothing to local thrift stores, consignment shops and bins put out by non-profit organizations in shopping center parking lots.  But, what do you do with the worn out items?  By donating, you’ll help divert the billions of pounds of textiles clogging our landfills.

One option is to donate non-wearable clothing, blankets, towels, etc., to your local animal shelter where they’ll be used as animal bedding.

Another way to give your old clothes, rags and shoes a new purpose is to find organizations and companies that will recycle these items into new goods.  Here’s a list of a few places that accept these items:

• New York City residents can drop off clothing, shoes, handbags, belts, curtains, linens, and towels at several GreenMarket Farmers Markets.
• Nike’s Re-use-a-shoe program:  bring up to 10 pairs of shoes to any of their collection locations in Nike retail stores, universities, athletic clubs, and at special events.
• The Unique Boutique Thrift Shop in Boone, NC.
• City of Overland Park Community Recycling Center in Overland Park, KS.
• California residents can visit StopWaste.org for locations that accept scrap clothing and remnants.

photo by Fred Hsu

• Bedrock Industries:  You’ll find numerous high-style designs at this Seattle, Washington-based company.
• Oceanside Glasstile Company:  This Carlsbad, California company creates illuminescent pieces of art in several different collections, from mosaics to trim pieces, and everything in between.
• Sandhill Industries:  This Boise, Idaho company offers a wide array of luxurious tiles.