Deeper Shade of Green

We might be the most conscientious recyclers on the block, dragging our bins diligently to the curb each week and going back inside with a guilt-free glow, but – surprisingly – if we remodel our kitchen or bathroom just once, according to the Portland (Oregon) Office of Sustainable Development, we are likely to generate the equivalent by weight of four years of weekly curbside recycling.

Realistically, waste falls low on the priority list of most homeowners when they are planning to remodel. The process of dreaming up our ideal homes – and the effort to save money – easily eclipse our potential guilt over sending our old drywall and two-by-fours to a landfill. None of us wants to incur unnecessary costs when we remodel, but it doesn’t hurt to find out how spending a little more up front can buy a long-term savings for our wallets, our health and our planet.

Sustainable building materials have historically been more expensive and more difficult to acquire than traditional building materials, but this has been changing rapidly in the last few years, as knowledge and demand have increased . Green building has begun to shed its early “granola” aesthetic, giving way to a much wider variety of styles and design. This means that the sustainable choice and the preferred choice may be the same choice. We can now remodel with materials that create less waste, look bette, and keep a healthier home.

Some of the alternatives are to buy used materials from reuse centres, buy reclaimed wood, buy eco products such as bamboo and linoleum made from linseed oil and wood chips, products made from recycled glass (glass being one of the most versatile and recyclable material) and materials that have less impact on the environment when they were made. Pretty much anything these days bough can be of the more sustainable brand – you just have to look for it.

Excerpt from “World Changing: A user’s guide to the 21st century”