I was incredibly excited to discover that American Olean, a large well-known tile company, is offering products made of recycled materials.  As we all know, there are a lot of great eco-friendly building materials out there, but it can be a challenge to access them, especially if you don’t live on the West Coast.  Well, here is a product that you can find at virtually any store that sells tile and certain styles are even available at Lowe’s.  Not that I would suggest Lowe’s over your neighborhood tile store, but it’s there as an option, if you need it. 

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3form has a line of great eco-friendly materials.  One of their products, Chroma, is a solid surface material suitable for countertops, tabletops, vanities, and anything else your imagination can dream up.  The best part about the Chroma line is the color choices.  There is a beautiful palette of brights, bolds, neutrals, and earth tones to choose from.  The bright colors are candy-like and would make a truly unique and bold statement in an otherwise neutral room.  The fascinating thing about Chroma is it’s reclaim potential.  Chroma can be sent back to 3form and they can change the color of the material — and this can be done over and over again.   

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Enviro Board is not only a product but a technology.  As you can see from the video below, Enviro Board is able to process up to a ton of straw at one time and convert it into a panel product to be used in construction.  The process can convert many varieties of waste fibers, such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oat straws, flax, cane, elephant grass, etc., into low-cost building panels.  The award-winning product is non-toxic; resistant to fire, termites, mold, and mildew; earthquake and hurricane stable; and qualifies for LEED points.  And it can be used in the construction of virtually any type of structure in various applications.

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XCR is a wonderful flooring product from the company Expanko.  It is made of a mixture of recycled rubber and cork including recycled tires and post-industrial waste.  XCR is a colorful, waterproof, durable flooring option.  It is also slip-resistant, fire-resistant, and quiet and comfortable to walk and stand on.  There are 27 standard colors to choose from including earthy neutrals, jewel tones, and brights and bolds.  XCR is available in 24"x24"x1/8" tiles and rolls that are 48" wide in a variety of lengths — a great option for a range of commercial and residential projects.  XCR can be expected to last more than 20 years, even in a commercial setting, and when removed, it can be recycled. 

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It looks like Michelle Kaufmann is extending her successful prefab business into green interior products.  Her newly designed website now lists a couple green surface designs that are pretty stunning.  In collaboration with Concreteworks, MKD is offering mkPURE, a super-modern sink, and mkISLAND, a modern island/table.  Both the mkPURE and mkISLAND come in three finishes: (1) WHITE, made of concrete with fly ash and recycled porcelain, (2) LINEN, made of concrete with rice hull, and (3) GRAY, made of concrete with fly ash and rice hull. 

Pricing on the mkPURE starts at $1,950, unless you buy in bulk.  Similarly, the mkISLAND starts at $5,250.

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