These days, there's a nearly endless array of options on the market if you're looking for a stylish, green countertop. Availability varies and transportation costs — in more ways than one — so you might stop by the local green building store to see what's being made locally. You might see some of the products discussed below.
Our last article on VAST Pavers generated substantial discussion in the comments. The company makes composite masonry with roughly 90-95% recycled scrap tire rubber and plastics. The pavers are light, durable, and apply in a cinch once the proprietary grid has been laid. Up until recently, VAST has been expanding business with a 3″x6″ paver, but now they also have a new 4″x8″ paver that was designed with larger projects in mind.
I just noticed this translucent surface material on Inhabitat yesterday, and it looks interesting. Bio-Glass is a Coverings Etc product that the company claims is both 100% recycled and recyclable. Like many other products on the market, this one is made with recycled bottles. However, according to Building Green, the product is made with either pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled content, or mixture of both, depending on the color.
When heavy snow, strong winds, and cold weather converge, highway driving can become difficult in a state like Wyoming. There, you’ll see miles of snow fence to mitigate this condition. Centennial Snowfence, a division of Centennial Woods, manages ~270 miles of snow fence inventory in Wyoming, and since 1999, the company has built or renewed over 85 miles of it. In the process, Centennial Woods harvests old ponderosa and lodgepole pine boards for reuse, such as in homes or in retail or commercial projects.
InFuez, Inc., the maker of Fuez solid slab surfaces, is being mentioned more and more these days (first noticed in the Portland SIPs House). Fuez is made of low-carbon cement, curbside recycled glass, and a natural aggregate in a facility that’s 100% wind powered in Portland. Fuez can contribute to up to 5 LEED credits and can be used as tiles, flooring, or countertops. It’s a handsome product and pricing is competitive with, if not more affordable than, traditional stones and other recycled content products.
Project Profiles
