Eco-friendly drywall revisted, we have options!

Last month we blogged about the eco-friendly drywall options available.  As you probably remember there really wasn't (to our knowledge at the time) a viable eco-friendly drywall option available on U.S. market.  Well, thankfully we were happily wrong!  Our new friends at The ReWall Company in Des Moines, IA are producing two eco-friendly drywall replacement options that are not only viable,  but in many ways are far superior to traditional drywall.  I'm sure you probably also remember from our previous blog that traditional drywall is a big ouch for our environment.  The manufacturing of drywall ranks as the third highest green house gas producer for building materials.   ReWall's ground breaking drywall replacement products are called NakedBoard and EssentialBoard

ReWall EssentialBoard is a structural rated panel product made of 100% recycled material derived from milk cartons and other beverage containers and cups.  The content is shredded and compressed, giving the user a sustainable and superior performing panel. The ReWall EssentialBoard is made of a water resistant core and surfaced with paper facing on both sides.   ReWall NakedBoard is a prefinished interior wallboard made of 100% recycled material derived from milk cartons and other beverage containers and cups.  It is a durable, moisture-resistance sustainable solution made of a polycoated paper waste without a facing material.  The shreds of recycled paper are left exposed, creating an exclusive design that says “recycled” at first glance.   For more information about ReWall's products please visit www.rewall.com

If the world massively converted it's drywall usage to eco-friendly products like EssentialBoard and NakedBoard we would take a nice sized step in improving our environment.  Eco-friendly replacement products made from 100% recycled materials offer a double positive impact to our environment.    First, the high level of green house gases produced during the manufacturing of drywall are eliminated.   And second, the recycled content avoids being added to a U.S. landfill.  These are likely the types of changes that will be needed to combat climate change, big thank you to The Rewall Company for making it an actual possibility!   Please check back at paperplaneco.us for Rewall products available in South Florida.

Why do we need our forests?

We depend on our forests for survival because they function as essential filters for our air and water.  Not to mention nearly 1.6 billion people throughout the world rely on forests for their livelihoods.  Forests cover over 30% of the world's land area and are home to nearly half of the world's species and 70% of animals and plants.  Forests are essential for our planet and fortunately there are organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) who are committed to assuring their survival.  The FSC is an non-profit independent organization that protects forests for future generations.

The Forest Stewardship Council was developed after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio failed to produce an agreement to stop deforestation.  A group of businesses, environmentalists and community leaders came together to create the FSC.   The FSC sets standards for responsible forest management through a voluntary program.  Today, more than 380 million acres of forest are certified under FSC’s system, including more than 150 million acres in the US and Canada.  For more information about the FSC please visitus.fsc.org

Many people don't know that deforestation and forest destruction is the second leading cause of carbon pollution, creating over 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions.  In the United States, much of our forestland is privately owned.  If these landowners can’t earn a living from these forests, they may eventually destroy them for homes, ranches, farms, or real estate developments.  This would only add to the green house gas emissions caused from deforestation.  Even though the total acreage of forests in the US has remained relatively stable, certain parts of the country are seeing significant declining forest coverage. For example, the US Forest Service estimates 12 million acres of forest in the Southeast U.S. will be lost to suburban real estate development between 1992 - 2020.   We can help lower our dependance on forests by purchasing eco-friendly building materials and products that are made from recycled, sustainable, or rapidly renewable materials.

LED lighting, a more eco-friendly lighting option...

LED lighting is a rapidly advancing technology that uses energy more efficiently than conventional lighting but also can help save energy in indirect ways, such as with air-conditioning costs.  LED lights use small, powerful sources of light that illuminate when electrons move through semiconductor materials. They shine in only one direction and only produce a small fraction of the heat of fluorescent and incandescent lights.  This not only makes them more eco-friendly than other lighting options but LED's have a much longer lifespan as well.

Because LED lighting is more energy efficient their use reduces utility bills. As of 2011, an Energy Star-qualified LED bulb has an average operating cost of $1 per year.  Compared to annual costs of $1.20 for an Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent bulb, $3.50 for a halogen incandescent bulb and $4.80 for a traditional incandescent bulb. In addition, because a Energy Star-qualified LED bulb has a longer life there is much lower turnover of bulbs in your house.   LED lights last a minimum of 15 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb to a maximum of 25 times longer.  LED lighting is clearly the most eco-friendly lighting option available today, well the 2nd most (sun!)...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Explored

Since we're big fans of the environment we wanted to have a better understanding of the things that create greenhouse gas emissions, not just in the U.S. but around the world.   We're experts in eco-friendly building materials but we're always striving to learn more about our environment and climate change.  This blog posting is a summary of what we've learned and we hope it brings more awareness to what we can do to combat climate change.  Most people understand that the burning of coal and oil creates a significant amount of our global greenhouse gas emissions.  But many people are unaware that things like deforestation and land clearing for agriculture make up a whopping 17% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions (in the form of carbon dioxide).  That's more than transportation (planes, trains, and automobiles) which makes up roughly 13% and not that far off energy supply (electricity creation) which constitutes nearly 26% of world's greenhouse gas emissions.  The other large contributing categories to world's greenhouse gas emissions includes industry at 19% and agriculture at 14%.   Emissions from industry mostly include fossil fuels burned on-site at facilities for energy needed for manufacturing.  While greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture primarily come from the management of agricultural soils, livestock, rice production, and biomass burning.

U.S. emissions statistics are a little different than the rest of the world.  The U.S. emissions are made up of electrical production 32%, transportation 28%, industry 20%, agriculture 10%, and commercial and residential 10%.  Commercial and residential greenhouse gas emissions are created by businesses and homes primarily from fossil fuels burned for heat, the use of certain products that contain greenhouse gases, and the handling of waste. It's obvious from the statistics there is a lot that can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.   By using eco-friendly building materials in our homes and businesses we can  impact all of the major categories of green house gas contributors.    For more information on greenhouse gas emissions please visit www.epa.gov

Turn up the quiet with Eco-Friendly EchoPanels!

EchoPanel is a wall covering comprised of 100% recycled PET plastic manufactured by Kirei USA of Solana Beach, CA.   Since 2003,  Kirei USA has been bringing natural materials to market and allowing businesses and consumers to create beautiful interior spaces while using sustainable, nontoxic materials.  EchoPanels are acoustic panels or tiles manufactured from recycled PET bottles, eco-friendly dyes, and no adhesives.    EchoPanel is available in three different thicknesses, thirteen vibrant colors, and 9 beautiful stock prints.  EchoPanel can achieve noise reduction coefficients up to .75 depending on the room and installation.

Kirei manufactures other eco-friendly building materials including a product called Kirei Board, Bamboo panels, wheatboard, and Coco tiles.  Kirei board is comprised of reclaimed sorghum straw and is an environmentally friendly substitute for wood used in making furniture, cabinetry and more.  Kirei's wheatboard is an eco-friendly replacement for MDF and it's comprised of renewable source materials and non-toxic glue.   Finally, Kirei's Coco tiles are manufactured from reclaimed coconut shells and zero-VOC adhesives and finishes.  For more information on the eco-friendly products manufactured by Kirei USA please visit www.kirei.com

The Future of Eco-Friendly Brick

Over 1.3 trillion bricks are manufactured each year.  This is a big problem because the manufacturing of  brick can be very destructive to our environment.  The use of coal and wood fired kilns omit large amounts of pollutants into our atmosphere.  Most of the brick in the world is manufactured overseas in China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh while nations like Vietnam are working to ramp up production.  A significant amount of the bricks manufactured in developing countries are still made in primitive kilns.   These kilns are causing severe air pollution in their immediate areas and groups like Clean Air Task Force are pushing back and exposing this pollution for what it is.

Eco-friendly brick is still very much a developing industry.  One developing option in Australia is called Hempcrete bricks.  The are an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete, ‘hempcrete’ is made of hemp, lime and water. The material is eco-friendly and carbon negative due to the amount of carbon dioxide stored during the growing and harvesting of the hemp.  Another option is a recycled glass brick being developed by BEEcycle.   BEEcycle is currently researching a solution for glass waste by breaking down glass bottles into sand which is then used to create eco-bricks for paving and construction.  A machine called a  GS100 is designed to turn glass waste into sand grade sizes. The glass is then used to replace normal sand in brick makingthe eco-bricks more eco-friendly with over 70% of it being waste material. At the same time, the eco-brick looks, feels and functionality is exactly the same as conventional bricks.  For more information on recycled glass bricks please visit beecycle.co.uk

Is there eco-friendly drywall?

This is actually a really good question that we've been trying to figure out.  We have some answers but the biggest problem is that eco-friendly drywall is still very much developing.  Drywall manufacturing is one of the top three producers of greenhouse gas pollution when it comes to building materials.  If you think about it drywall is everywhere in our homes and buildings, it makes up almost 80% of the material with in our structures.  Having an eco-friendly drywall option is vital if we are to succeed at green building.   The few options currently available for eco-friendly drywall consist of an Austrailan product called Durra Panels created by Ortech Industries and an American product call EcoRock which may or may not still be available (we're still awaiting a reply from the manufacturer Serious Materials or Serious Energy).

Durra Panels are manufactured with agricultural waste by-product from wheat and rice straw, very similar to strawboard.  The contents of Durra panels are usually disposed of after a harvest through a burning process that releases additional carbon emissions. During the manufacturing of Durra Panels the bio-waste materials are heated and pressed to form a hard panel core. The natural polymer in the straw is processed and works as an organic binding agent.  To complete the drywall a non-toxic PVA glue with a water base covers the panel core with recycled Kraft liner paper.  Durra Panels can be recycled, turned into mulch, or safely disposed in landfills.   Based on our research Durra Panels are not available in the U.S., the pricing and cost effectiveness of this product is unclear.  EcoRock is a green alternative to traditional gypsum drywall. It is made of 80% recycled content from cement and steel manufacturing plants. The overall manufacturing procedure is less energy intensive since it’s naturally cured and dried without the use of heat or other harsh chemicals.   The manufacturer of EcoRock is Serious Materials or now known as Serious Energy, Inc has had difficulty over the last few years and may not be currently producing EcoRock.   We'll up-date this post if they reply to our e-mail in the future.

It's clear eco-friendly drywall seemingly has a long way to go.  Standard gypsum drywall is a very affordable building material, adding a significant amount of cost to go eco-friendly will be difficult for home owners and builders.  But clearly we have to do something and we expect and hope that more eco-pioneers join the effort to create an eco-friendly drywall alternative!

Composite decking that's eco-friendly!

Composite building materials were first seen on the market in the 90's.   Composite usually means a combination of wood and plastic materials combined with a binding agent.   Composite building materials aren't typically considered eco-friendly because they are often made with raw wood and plastics and sometimes toxic glues.  Over the last twenty years the use of composite building materials has continued to increase because of the cost and the material's ability to survive in the outdoor elements.   Composite decking has been especially growing in popularity and now it's become  eco-friendly with products like BamDeck® Composite and GreenClaimed® Infinity™.

BamDeck® Composite is made from 60% reclaimed bamboo fibers and 40% recycled HDPE plastics and its three times stronger than most composites.   BamDeck is low-maintenance and available in a number of styles and colors.  GreenClaimed® Infinity™ is manufacured in the U.S. and it's made from 100% post consumer recycled materials which includes a 50/50 mixture of reclaimed oak and maple hardwoods from the furniture industry combined with recycled HDPE plastics such as milk jugs and detergent bottles.   Both products are easy to install with a hidden fastening system and come with a 25 year warranty.    If you are considering composite decking for your outdoor deck please check out an eco-friendly product like BamDeck® Composite or GreenClaimed® Infinity™

Walk walk walking on recycled glass!

Please excuse the cheesy headline but it's true, recycled glass as a building material has made its way to flooring.  Joining the fellow eco-friendly flooring types of bamboo, cork, and reclaimed wood.  Recycled glass is a completely eco-friendly material because it's 100% recycled.  It's often used to manufacture beautiful countertops, glass tile mosaics, accents and now it comes in the form of large tiles or pieces intended for flooring. A recycled glass flooring product currently available on the market is called GlassPLANK,  it's manufactured by Glass Recycled Surfaces of Dallas, TX.

Glass Recycled Surfaces uses recycled glass bottles and discarded porcelain fixtures to manufacture flooring, countertops, and even a mulch for landscaping.  They claim that their recycled glass flooring is as durable and will last as long as standard tile flooring.  Their unique recycled glass mulch is both environmentally friendly and visually appealing.   Pricing for recycled glass flooring is a little on the higher side but hopefully the market will expand and the cost will go down.   For more information about Glass Recycled Surfaces and recycled glass flooring please visit glassrecycled.com

Off the Grid with Wind Power for the Home

You've probably been driving down the expressway and come across a large field of huge wind turbines.  These are called wind farms and because they generate emission free power they are continually being built in the U.S. and across the world.  Did you know that the country of Denmark generates over 1/3 of it's electricity from wind power.  We've been using wind power ever since the first person put a sail on a boat.   This form of power generation is the least destructive to the environment but it does have a few down sides.  Primarily the noise generated from the turbines can impact neighborhoods and of course the wind isn't always blowing so power generation can be variable.  Nevertheless, wind power has become a legitimate method of power generation for utility companies.  And now, with the use of small wind systems or turbines, individual homes, farms, and small businesses can take advantage of wind power.

Small Wind Turbines are electric generators that use the energy of the wind to produce clean, emissions-free power for individual homes, farms, and small businesses. This is a simple and increasingly popular technology that allows home and business owners to generate their own power off the grid.  Unlike utility-scale turbines, small turbines can be suitable for use on properties as small as one acre of land in most areas of the country.  These small wind turbines aren't necessarily small, normally at least 80 feet in height and can be as tall as 140 feet.   On average a small wind turbine with a 5 kilowatt generating capacity will cost around $30,000.  It can take between 6 to 20 years to recoup the investment of a small wind system but tax incentives in the future may speed that up.  Your local zoning codes and wind factors will determine whether or not your property would be suited to have a small wind turbine installed.   Generally, a minimum of 12 mph winds must be the average for the area.  For more information on small wind systems an wind power please visit www.awea.org