What is : Eco-friendly

What if someone told you that you could have a beautiful, stunning home and save the planet from harmful chemicals, landfill, and air pollution at the same time?

That would be pretty awesome and is totally POSSIBLE!

When I was attending FIDM, every other class had some lesson or project on eco-friendly materials and furniture. They encouraged us to actively look for environmental-friendly products over the easily accessible standard products sold in stores. Currently, there are a LOT more eco-friendly options available now than there were just two years ago. This is a great thing! What's even better is with all of these new companies popping up with cutting edge environmental solutions, it is now a more accessible and affordable option! Below are just Some of the options we have to choose from today.

Enjoy!

Strand-woven Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is better for the environment than hardwood flooring for MANY reasons! Bamboo is a renewable resource; grows faster; absorbs greenhouse gasses; exerts 35% more oxygen; doesn't require any pesticides, fertilizer, or herbicides; more versatile; and has many more qualities that are beneficial to our environment and economy. 

Coconut Tiles

 Yep, those pretty white tiles are made from coconuts! These beautiful and unique reclaimed tiles are eco-friendly because they are excess shells that would have, otherwise, been discarded from the harvest or burned, adding to landfill waste and air pollution. 

Zero-VOC Paints

When you're shopping for paint, pick a product that says "Zero-VOC" on the label. (VOCs, volatile organic compounds, are hazardous chemicals that easily become vapor or gas.) I recommend the brand Benjamen Moore; his coloring system is proven to produce less VOCs than other Zero-VOC companies and offers more colors.

Cork

Cork is an amazing material because it's water resistant, acoustic soundproofing, offers insulation, and looks beautiful when incorporated into interiors (ranging from flooring to pendant lights). Cork is great for the environment because the cork trees are harvested, rather than cut down, to collect bark. This is a process that causes the trees to absorb more carbon dioxide, release more oxygen, and naturally regenerate its bark. It's also *biodegradable* !

Recycled Glass

This glass countertop was constructed by recycled pieces of glass, concrete, and non-toxic pigments. Glass recycling helps the environment, because the amount of energy needed to melt recycled glass is considerably less than that needed to melt raw materials to make new bottles and jars.