Higher dumping fees, dwindling lumber
reserves, and widespread environmental
awareness are encouraging
more of us to pay attention to where
our building materials come from and
where they are going. There is already
a surprising number of off-the-shelf
building products made from recycled
or readily-renewable resources. Many
of these materials require less energy to
produce, and create less environmental
impact, than similar products made
from virgin resources. Here are a few
such resource-efficient building products:
Old-Fashioned Linoleum
Forbo makes a high-quality
linoleum that probably isn't too
different than the stuff your grandmother
used to have. It's made
from all natural ingredients,
including linseed oil from flax,
pine resins, wood flour from deciduous
trees, and cork. These are
mixed with clay and chalk fillers
and