Most products headed to the landfills at this very moment could have been recycled, or better yet, reclaimed for use in a new building or other practical or artistic function. Recycled products are multitudinous in number and diverse in sources as well. For instance, recycled newspaper can be reused for home insulation, plastic bottles transformed into playgrounds, tires into sidewalks and so on.
Reclaimed materials skip the recycling process, thus using less energy between removal and reuse. Common reclaimed materials include: wood products from old barns and homes, bricks and other used masonry units, doors, paneling and a slew of other building products. While there is no specific certification for reclaimed materials, their use counts significantly toward LEED and Living Building certification.
Products claiming to be part or all recycled content can be certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and will bear the SCS Certified logo. SCS offers certification to manufacturers of products made from recycled or biodegradable materials. An excellent online resource for recycled and reclaimed materials is PlanetReuse, a global guide for finding locally available reclaimed and reusable materials. In the following articles, you'll find a list of recycled products and materials commonly available in most areas, as well as information to help locate and purchase them.
Products, Materiels, Homes and Manufacturers related to Recycled (“reclaimed”) Materials
While perfection is near-impossible to find, there is a company producing something that is as close to perfection as you can get. The... Continue Reading »
Using extensive research to stay on top of new technology and green trends, EcoStar is committed to providing competitive steep-slope... Continue Reading »
Since the company’s beginnings in 2003, InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles have been marketed as a customizable floor covering that allows ... Continue Reading »
Since 1981, Crossroads Recycled Lumber has employed sustainable building practices for both residential and commercial projects, most notably through... Continue Reading »
Fiber Tech Polymers: Composite Fencing With Real Wood Beauty For the past ten years, California company Fiber Tech Polymers, LLC has... Continue Reading »
In this day and age, green living has become more than chic… it’s essential. So, we at Green Home Improvement have compiled a... Continue Reading »
Tumbled glass looks much like crushed stone or gravel, but comes with the added advantage of limitless color possibilities. You can make... Continue Reading »
Recycled Barn Wood For Modern Beauty Black's Farmwood has been at it for more than a decade now. They reclaim wood from old decrepit... Continue Reading »
Manufactured by Owens Corning Sales, AttiCat is insulation certified silver by the Cradle-to-Cradle certification. In addition to... Continue Reading »
Want really “green”, that is, recycled wood? Want a floor/deck/ceiling with beauty and class? For larger projects like decks and floors,... Continue Reading »
Building the Old-Fashioned Way One of the world's oldest building techniques, rammed earth has quickly gained favor with the advent... Continue Reading »
Locally-Sourced Lime PuttyAmerican Clay just announced the launch of their new lime putty, to be added to any of their line of wall plasters,... Continue Reading »
"No Trees Ever Cut Down" Natural Cork, part of the US Floors product line, offers a wide variety of sustainable flooring products made... Continue Reading »
Temperatures dropped dramatically all over the country within the last couple of weeks. As we’ve been hitting our first cold spells,... Continue Reading »
This beautiful flooring is suitable for kitchens and large halls, as well as for non-residential buildings. EnviroTRAZ, takes Terazzo... Continue Reading »
Once in a while, we overlook the obvious when it comes to sustainable homes--using pre-owned fixtures! There is so much effort put... Continue Reading »
There's already been a review of composite decking here, so I won't go into the pros and cons too much. But there is one con that... Continue Reading »
Here's a new take on insulation-- fiberglass using recycled glass! Certainteed makes fiberglass insulation which... Continue Reading »
There's no question that the kitchen is the focus of tons of remodeling projects--and it's the place where a lot of us spend our time, so... Continue Reading »
Endurawood--wooden countertopsThere are so many great entries here about eco-friendly countertops, but what if you want the beautiful classic... Continue Reading »
In the push to save energy and costs, we're finding all sorts of new ways to heat our homes effectively. But why reinvent the... Continue Reading »
“Finally, I Found It” One of the first things to be overlooked in the design phase of a kitchen remodel is one of the most important—the... Continue Reading »
It’s about time that your outdoor landscaping products reflect your commitment to a sustainable lifestyle. AERT, a company as green-minded... Continue Reading »
Koch has been in business for 20 years and is based in Kansas. The company continually works to provide eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to... Continue Reading »
Algoma Hardwoods has fully embraced their niche of the green building movement. Based in Algoma, Wisconsin, the company offers a full... Continue Reading »
Algoma Hardwoods came to life in 1947 as a manufacturer of fire doors and quickly integrated architectural doors into their portfolio. Available... Continue Reading »
Think of the environmental impact you could make with one small change, not to mention the total kitchen makeover that new countertops... Continue Reading »
Most carpet is not biodegradable. Each year, millions of old bolts of carpet are ripped up from the floors of American homes and sent to... Continue Reading »
Traditional synthetic area rugs are manufactured with harmful chemicals that emit toxins into your breathing air – a good reason to ... Continue Reading »
Kirei USA is located in Solana Beach, CA and has been creating stylish, sustainable, green products since 2003. They offer three other product... Continue Reading »
For new designer wood materials to work with on your next project, keep an eco-friendly eye open for products that don’t contain toxins.... Continue Reading »
Vida Cork products consist of two types of flooring: planks and tiles. Both are made from eco-friendly renewable cork, a warm and quiet... Continue Reading »
With UltraTouch insulation, the "Fabric of our Lives" is transformed into the fabric of our walls. Natural fiber cotton insulation contains... Continue Reading »
Old Growth Riverwood offers eco-friendly wood products for your home or business. Flooring Countertops Mantles Custom Trims Furniture... Continue Reading »
My girlfriends love to tease me, I’m the really crafty/nerdy one who’s always knitting, sewing, baking, planting, crafting on my own... Continue Reading »
There is a lot of debate about the green-ness of traditional masonry products. While concrete homes are much more energy efficient than... Continue Reading »
I have to admit, when I hear the expression ‘milk paint,’ it conjures up kitchen concoctions for the kids to use for artwork (or eating... Continue Reading »
Well, it’s official: the construction industry has gone to poop. Well, cow dung, to be more exact. Students at the Prasetiya Mulya Business... Continue Reading »
Americans, collectively, replace about 5 billion pounds of carpeting every year. That’s a lot of rug! Carpet manufacturers are doing... Continue Reading »
Landscape pavers are generally thought of as being made from concrete, stone, or clay -- but there’s an alternative now, made from up... Continue Reading »