Mosaic “wallpaper” by Trend USA

1.  Recycled glass takes only 50% of the energy to produce that virgin glass does.

Oceanside Glasstile

2.  Recycled glass  can be made into any form, color, or shape you can imagine.

Bedrock Industries

3.  Glass is truly recyclable, meaning it can be recycled over and over and over again without losing quality.  Paper and many metals can only be recycled a certain number of times before they become unusable (in their original form) due to contaminants or loss of structural integrity.  Plastic is even worse, as it can only be downcycled, meaning it must be converted into a lesser form from the very beginning.

Stone & Pewter

4. Recycled glass is versatile.  It can be used anywhere that ceramic tile can be used, such as walls, countertops, showers, fountains and pools.  It can even be used for flooring.

Hakatai

5.  Every ton of 50% recycled glass saves 250 tons of mining waste.  Imagine the savings when it’s 100% recycled!

Sandhill

6.  Recycled glass is inert, meaning it won’t affect indoor air quality, or add contaminants or chemicals to the interior environment.

So have I got you interested?  Good!  Now, here are a few more things you should know before you run out and replace that grubby old bathroom countertop:

• The post consumer recycled content of glass tiles can vary anywhere from 100% down to about 30%.  Most companies make the information available to you on their website or in information sheets and catalogs, but if you don’t see it anywhere, don’t hesitate to ask.
• Even though recycled glass takes a lot less energy to produce than virgin glass, there is still a significant amount of heat and energy needed to reform it.  Check with the company you’re considering to see if they have any programs in place to either reduce or offset the energy they use in production.
• Recycled glass is BEAUTIFUL.  That being said, it’s typically made using processes that allow for some flaws, bubbles and other quirks of production, so you should enjoy a little “character” in your tile.
• All of the recycled glass tile companies I have highlighted above are located in the United States, although a few of them actually manufacture in other countries.  If you are in another country and know of a good local source for recycled glass tile that you would like to share, please let us know in the comments below.  I love hearing about new sources for good things.

That’s because you don’t know about Ecor yet…Founded by noted architect and environmental designer Robert Noble, Ecor takes the idea of corrugated cardboard to a whole new level.  Relying solely on discarded material such as old newspapers, cardboard containers, and agricultural fibers, Ecor creates the new from the old.

Still exploring all the possible uses for their product, Ecor is currently making furniture, partitions, structural panels, table tops and more.  Available in a variety of thicknesses, including a flat panel product, the possibilities are almost limitless.

As part of their continuing product development, they recently launched the ECOR-YourCOR program, which will recycle a companies white paper waste into panels, furniture, or other products.  They can even integrate that companies logo and artwork directly onto the panels or products during fabrication.

So what do you think you would make from Ecor?

Like an extension of the natural world, the irregular topography of Gore Design’s Signature Erosion Sink has a beauty all it’s own.

Created in a studio which uses no chemical finishes, heavy metal pigments or plastics, this sink is only one of the many designs they offer with a nod to nature.  Gore Design also strives to maintain their commitment to green design practices by using additives such as fly ash both to strengthen their mix, and reduce the amount of Portland cement necessary.

If you have a minute, you really should see their tongue in cheek “obituary” for traditional concrete.  You just know someone had a lot of fun setting up those shots.

Developed by the Spanish multi-national company Cosentino, Eco brand countertops are made of 75% recycled materials.  Those materials include anything from porcelain to stone to glass.  But it’s the three colors, Polar Cap, Crystal Ash and Starlight, which really stand out with their subtle use of broken mirror.  In fact, although not normally a fan of shiny black countertops, I am transfixed by how much the color Starlight lives up to its name.  There is no way to experience what it really looks like except by seeing it in person, but trust me, it’s absolutely lovely.  And shiny.  And sparkly.  And,… I must have been a magpie in another life.

By combining all these different materials, in different proportions, and then binding them together with a resin made primarily from corn, Eco by Cosentino has created a non-porous, high performance surface that is both Cradle to Cradle, and Greenguard certified.

Although they have a very usable range of colors, they are all in an earthy palette of black, white, gray and tan, which seems a bit limited.  If you were in charge of things, what color would you most like to see them add to the range of options?  Do you like the polished look, or do you think they should offer a couple of colors in a honed (matte) finish?  Please feel free to comment below.

Whether it’s due to a backlash against the cold, shiny surface of the ubiquitous granite countertop, or a desire for something with an old-fashioned, great-grandma’s kitchen feel, wood is really seeing a comeback as a countertop surface.

One beautiful option to achieve this look is teak.  Because of it’s density, durability and natural oil content, teak has long been the wood of choice for boats, buildings and outdoor furniture, all of which get a great deal of exposure to the elements.  It’s those same characteristics that are giving it a foothold in the modern kitchen.

Many, many years ago, teak was almost entirely harvested from old growth forests.  Nowadays, the majority of teak is grown on plantations, which is seen as a more commercially viable and environmentally preferable source.  However, not all plantation grown teak is truly eco-friendly, and it can, in some cases, cause damage to surrounding forest.

Down on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, one company has found a way to grow teak AND save the forest.  Over the last six years, Proteak has planted over 8,000 acres of reclaimed ranch land with fast growing teak, all while saving 2,000 acres of adjacent rainforest.  Overall, they estimate that every day the plantation captures the carbon emissions equivalent of 20,000 cars.  Best of all, their teak is FSC certified, which means they have met rigorous standards of forest management.

The end results are lovely to look at, like their end grain kitchen countertop above.

For those not looking to replace their entire countertop, Proteak also makes cutting boards and butcher block carts.

Do you have a wood countertop in your kitchen?  Is it teak, or some other wood?  What do you think are the pros and cons?  Please let us know in the comments below.

One of the most interesting and beautiful aspects of trees is the variation found on their bark.  From the rough and rugged oak, to the delicate, papery aspen, trees come in a tremendous range of colors and textures.  But as much as I love wood as an interior element, it had never really occurred to me to use the bark in my designs.

Luckily, Bark House, part of Highland Craftsman, came along and created a material that any designer could be inspired by.

In the forestry business, bark is something to get rid of, either by chipping, mulching, or turning it into industrial fuel.  Bark House recognized the potential of this re-claimed material to be used instead as something of lasting beauty and value.  Says Bark House:

“The raw material we use for this application is the thin bark that grows between the limb whorls at the tops of these trees. This part of the tree is usually too small to be a mill log. So, this bark and the pole that it covers would have been hauled off for pulp or left to degrade.

[Bark House] harvests, processes, and laminates this species and others into a panel form. The other barks that we use are white birch, yellow birch, pin cherry, and yellow poplar. These panels can be ordered in any size up to 4 by 8 feet. Uses include cabinetry panels, furniture inserts, wainscoting, panel and frame walls, and the occasional free-form application.”

Bark House sources their material from sustainably managed forest, 90% of which are within a 100 mile radius of their facility.  No water is used in their manufacturing process, and what little grid energy they consume is offset with energy credits.

When I got review samples from Bark House last week, I was amazed at how lovely and natural they looked.  Complete with little bits of lichen!  You can tell that this is a raw material, tamed for interior use.  Again, from Bark House:

“It’s a joy to watch a client’s delight when they touch these materials for the first time. You can see the sparkle in their eye as their own design process kicks in while they ponder ways to incorporate their new “discovery” into their own projects. This is what we live for at our work. These pure textures from the forest that we refine into a workable form present nature back into an interior space that may have previously had her walled out.”

Well, they pegged me for sure.  I am truly inspired by this product, and can’t wait for the opportunity to create something with it.  How about you?

"Floating Blue" by Vetrazzo - Joel Puliatti, ©2008 Joel Puliatti for Vetrazzo, puliattiphoto@yahoo.com.

1. Recycled Glass Terrazo – Terrazo is an age old method of creating hard surfaces by combining aggregate, such as marble chips, with concrete.  The resulting material is poured into place and smoothed out using grinders and polishers. Companies such as Vetrazzo, Enviroglass, and Icestone have taken this method and replaced the stone aggregate with pre and post consumer glass chips, creating eye catching surfaces.

Caesarstone Ruby Reflections (recycled content)

2. Composite (Engineered) Stone – A suitable, and less destructive, substitute for granite countertops.  Composite countertops consist of some sort of stone aggregate, ranging in size from powder to pea size granules, combined with polymers and epoxy.  Pigment may also be added.  Manufacturers such as Caesarstone and Okite offer GreenGuard certified product.

Paperstone - Grass Kitchen: Paneltech International.

3. Paper – Composed of hundreds of sheets of compressed paper, and saturated with non-toxic resin, paper countertops, such as Richlite and Paperstone,  provide a clean, elegant look with surprising durability.

Plyboo Squared - USGBC Headquarters Washington, D.C.

4. Wood & Bamboo – In many late 19th century kitchens, wood countertops were the norm.  By the early 20th century though, tile and other easy to sanitize hard surfaces had all but replaced them in most kitchens.  However, wood is seeing a resurgence in popularity, due in part to an understanding of its natural anti-bacterial properties, as well as the warmer look.  Bamboo has similar properties to wood and, when purchased from a reputable manufacturer such as Plyboo or Teragren, is made with non-toxic adhesives and responsibly harvested material.

Durum by Torzo Surfaces

5. Resin Infused Composite – Something of a hybrid, this surface takes composite board, such as Kirei and OSB, and saturates it with resin, much like that used for paper countertops.  Because the resin and pigment permeate the material, it can be fabricated without need for staining or touch-ups. It also makes it resistant to water, allowing it to be used for bathroom and kitchen counters.

Conrete integral sink by Sonoma Stone

6. Concrete – Whether poured in place, or slab, lightweight concrete makes a lovely, versatile countertop surface.  With the addition of pigment, surface detailing and various types of aggregate, this material can be endlessly customized.  Perhaps one of the biggest advantages is the ability to create integral sinks, which provide a seamless surface transition.  There are many artisans who specialize in creating and installing concrete countertops, as well as some larger companies such as Sonoma Stone.