Integrating environmentally responsible materials into your home design is a simple way to contribute to environmental responsibility, from swapping out light bulbs to updating kitchen or bathroom remodels with eco-friendly materials.
Reclaimed wood can be an eco-friendly alternative for flooring or fireplace applications, while bamboo is another versatile renewable material which can also be utilized for insulation purposes or flooring use.
Reclaimed or Repurposed Materials
There are various terms used to refer to materials being reused again, such as recycled, vintage and repurposed. While the differences may seem daunting at first, all three refer to reuse of a material for another purpose.
Each year, home remodeling, construction and demolition projects generate waste materials that could be recycled to reduce waste. Examples of reusable material can include wood beams, doors and flooring; masonry siding panels; ironwork work; kitchen appliances fixtures windows cabinets fireplaces etc.
Reclaimed materials can also be used in landscaping applications, such as railroad ties for fencing and terrace steps on sloped land, or to construct structures like homes, sheds, playhouses and gazebos. Reusing old materials often creates unique looks to home designs while saving both money and the environment – even something as simple as paper tubes can be repurposed into furniture and wall decor to help save both money and the planet!
FSC-Certified Wood
When selecting lumber for your home or office, be sure to opt for FSC-certified wood. This certification ensures that wood harvested from forests is harvested sustainably, and that its chain of custody can be traced all the way from its origination in nature to your place of use.
Deforestation is one of the leading contributors to climate change and pollution, so using FSC-certified wood products can help preserve our planet. Therefore, it is vitally important to look out for FSC logos or labels at your local hardware store when shopping.
Wood has long been used in interior design projects, providing warmth to any space it inhabits. When purchasing lumber or wood products from your supplier, ask if they use FSC-certified or mixed wood; Tague Lumber stocks an extensive selection of FSC certified framing dimension lumber, hardwoods, plywoods and rough sawn and kiln dried lumber suitable for framing dimensions as well as sheathing applications – perfect for sheathing purposes and other uses.
Bamboo
Bamboo is an eco-friendly material with multiple uses in your home. It grows quickly without requiring pesticides or fertilizers and produces up to 35% more oxygen than trees – helping fight climate change!
Bamboo differs from many wood varieties in that its harvest does not deplete forests or other resources, making it a more eco-friendly material than most wood varieties and an excellent material to create accent walls in your home.
Bamboo is an extremely flexible material and can be used in multiple ways around your home, from flooring and furniture construction to replacing plastic hangers in closets.
Pineapple Leather, commonly referred to as Pinatex, is one of the latest innovations in plant-pulp fabric technology. Made of organically-grown Abaca banana stalks, it offers waterproof, breathable and extremely durable sustainable performance – qualities which have seen its use found in high wear items like eco-friendly handbags and sneakers.
Recycled Glass
Glass is an ubiquitous material in our lives, from our smartphone screens and windows at home to jam jars. Yet most people don’t realize that it is one of the most resilient man-made materials around.
Glass can be recycled again and again without losing its purity and quality, significantly decreasing emissions, energy usage and saving natural resources in comparison with producing new glass from raw materials. Recycling glass also lowers emissions levels as it conserves resources compared to creating it from raw material sources.
Glass that’s collected through curbside collection or at drop-off locations by recyclers is crushed into small pieces called “cullet”, then separated from other recyclables by color sorting – this step is vitally important as mixing different hues may compromise its strength when melting; once cullet is separated out it is mixed with sand and soda ash to form new bottles or jars for reuse.
