Practical Eco

Vast Permeable Pavers win EcoHome magazine's 2009 Editor's Choice

I've been representing Vast locally for a couple months now and love this product for its double whammy of using recycled materials and reducing storm water run off.

The pavers come in permeable and non-permeable varieties. And, they offer both commercial and residential landscapers an excellent choice that can provide more LEED points than any other paving solution.

The speed and ease of installation also means installers can satisfy clients better while profiting more from a job. Though the pavers are made from 95% recycled materials, they look and feel like traditional pavers. In fact, most professionals can't tell the difference once they're in place.

Typical applications include driveways, parking lots, patios, sidewalks, pool areas, decks, flat roofs and other Green Building applications. VAST Composite Pavers are incredibly durable and withstand even the harshest environments. Unlike concrete, they are not affected by salt and are guaranteed not to crack. Residential applications are backed by a 10-year limited warranty and a LIFETIME warranty against cracking.

I'm delighted that Eco Home Magazine chose this as one of their ten best green building products.

Contact me anytime to discuss permeable pavers, energy efficient lighting or insulation for commercial and residential jobs.

Truly green playground systems by EcoPlay

There are several manufacturers in the Commercial Playground industry who are now claiming to be green.  One company in Marietta GA, called Safeplay Systems is the real deal.  Safeplay Systems designs, manufactures, and installs playground structures made of EcoPlay®, a green building material made from post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic (i.e. milk jugs). A single EcoPlay playground keeps an average of 30,000 milk jugs out of landfill.  And, installation can be applied toward LEED certification points.

Not only are EcoPlay green playgrounds made of post-consumer recycled material, but at the end of their useful life [estimated at 50+ years], the playgrounds can be recycled yet again and used in the building of new playgrounds.

Safeplay Systems, initially manufactured and sold wooden equipment. Being familiar with the inherent flaws of wood, and the high maintenance issues of metal, President, Bob Gredys began searching for a new green building material. Recycled plastic proved to be the answer. Working with a top polymer chemist, Safeplay Systems introduced EcoPlay -- one of the strongest materials available. EcoPlay is impermeable to water, cannot be eaten by insects, never needs painting or sealing, and it won’t splinter, crack, rust, swell or degrade in any way. So its a green material on several levels.

Safeplay custom designs their play structures, outdoor classrooms and site amenities – really, anything goes. 

EcoPlay Playgrounds from Safeplay Systems meet and exceed industry standards and all installations are conducted by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) to assure compliance with all safety codes. 

See: www.safeplaysystems.com.

If your green building design or green retrofit project calls for a playgroud then contact me, or call Sandra Cummins on 770-314-1720 for more information.

 

Habitat Building Materials Warehouse Sale: Sat Dec 13 8am-2pm

The Habitat Hand-Me-Up Store is having a building materials warehouse sale Sat., Dec. 13 at 1400 East Geer St. (½ mile east of Cheek Rd. intersection).  Support Habitat by purchasing gently used (and some new) merchandise including laminate flooring, windows, doors, sinks, commodes, cabinets, rugs, nails, and so much more. 

What will be on sale? Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, laminate flooring, hardwood flooring, floor moulding, tile, countertops, windows, interior doors, exterior doors, fire doors, attic ladders, sinks, nails, toilets, rugs, bathtubs, light fixtures, recessed lights, lumber, trim, crown moulding, shutters, pipe hangers, clevis hangers, pipe clamps, square box, switch box, white wire shelving,  various brackets, and lots more.  Items are either gently used or brand new.

Also, save the date for a future warehouse sale on Jan. 10.  Please note that the warehouse is only open for business on the sale date. 

Visit the website or call 919-403-8668 for more information.  

Recycled cotton fiber insulation

UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber insulation is made from 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers. Much of that from denim manufacturers which makes for that characteristic blue shade.

It comes in Batt form at 16" and 24" widths, and 3.5" or 5.5" thicknesses to provide R13 or R19 insulation respectively.  Some of its advantages include great sound absorption and the fact that it handles easily without causing any itching.

Also, it contains no chemical irritants, no VOC so it has no warning labels and you can be sure that it is a perfectly safe and environmentally friendly product.

I might still personally tend to favor spray-foam in most applications, but there's a serious appeal to this product that not only appeals to the "hippy" in me but, uses no petroleum products and is probably safe enough to eat (well maybe a little tiny bite). So, I can see lot's of situations where I'd want to use this. It certainly knocks the socks off of Fiberglass batts.

UltraTouch is manufactured in Arizona and I'm still wondering why it isn't made here in NC where we've got lots of textile manufacturing, including denim, and a source of the raw material. 

But if you want to use this product, there's now a local distributor, BJ Green Insulation run by Polly and Joe Jones out of Wilson NC.

Recycle Laser and Inkjet Cartridges

• It takes about a gallon of oil to make a new laser cartridge.

• 70 percent of used printer cartridges throughout the world are currently being thrown out.

• Almost 8 cartridges are thrown away per second in the United States alone. That's over 350 million cartridges per year straight into our landfills, and that number increases by 12 percent annually.

• A laser cartridge thrown into landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose. Some components made of industrial grade plastics will take over a thousand years to decompose.

It is important that the message gets out to the 70% of printer users who dispose of their printer cartridges.

Recycle and save!  Most printer cartridges can be remanufactured, refilled or reloaded. Take cartridges to Cartridge World, or Rapid Refill Inks  shops for collection and recycling. You can buy remanufactured or refilled cartridges for substantially less than the price of the name brand ones at these places too.

 

Eco-Rubber Pavers, Tiles and matts

Eco-Rubber Impact Absorbing Pavers provide a slip resistant, comfortable surface for patios, decks, and walkways.  These Pavers are suitable for indoor or outdoor applications in apartment complexes,  office buildings, schools, senior centers and hospitals, even private homes. They're light-weight, impact absorbing, slip-resistant and low maintenance,  But most importantly from the environmental perspective, they're water permeable, so can reduce run off into storm drains. Plus they're made from recycled rubber, so reduce the pollution of incineration and the waste of landfill. 

Interlocking, self-aligning tiles are easy to install and require no adhesive, making them ideal for installation over existing surfacing materials. Manufactured from recycled materials, Eco-Rubber Surfacing products are impact absorbing on the environment as well and qualify for LEED credits. 

The Alternative Energy Store

I'm very impressed with the Alternative Energy Store and sorry I didn't discover it sooner. For anyone in the US it's a great resource for the whole range of products related to renewable energy and eco lifestyles. Even for those of us residing in Europe and elsewhere out of the US, they can air freight smaller items and can still come out less expensive. They have excellent prices and a surprisingly wide range of products. I just wish I lived nearer so I could drop in a browse regularly!

Click here to visit the Alternative Energy Store for discount prices on solar panels, wind turbines and  renewable energy equipment for your home.

SiliconValley.com places "Clean Technologies" in their top-ten for 2006

I'm pleased that SiliconValley.com has chosen to rate "clean technologies" among their top ten list for next year. It shows that business is finally starting to take the possibilities seriously. And that can only happen when business people believe there is a market out there. So, evidently, there are enough people who care to start making a difference.  Could that mean we're finally starting to hit critical mass?

Humanure?

Now here's a subject you probably don't think about a lot - humane waste. Poo. Back Home Magazine's recent issue features a comprehensive article on composting toilets. And It got me wondering - exactly why DO we waste so much fresh water just to get rid of the product of our digestion? There are sensible and cheap ways of dealing with it that can yield a safe compost for your garden. I was surprised, however, to read that one person will produce only about 5 gallons of finished compost per year, so it's probably just a top-up to what you might need in a decent garden.

I'm definitely going to set up a compost toilet next year in my new house. And when water shortages arrive, I'll be well ahead of the game.

Full Back Home Magazine article (pdf)