Alternative building materials that make good use of recycled, reclaimed and sustainable (rather than virgin) resources are cropping up more frequently than ever before thanks to the innovative approach of forward-thinking product designers. Who really needs a brand-spanking-new house framework constructed out of harvested lumber or chemically-saturated, spun fiberglass insulation when in many cases, eco-friendly options will work just as effectively with minimal or no negative impact on our planet?
We've seen evidence of this before with the creation of cow-dung-composed EcoFaeBricks which are said to reduce 1,693 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere on a yearly basis. Another eco-building product, UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, converts recycled, shredded denim into batts that can be fitted between joists, studs and beams and generally releases no volatile organic compounds or air pollutants. One of the most outstanding innovations in recent years is Greensulate's line of rigid panel home insulation composed entirely out of agricultural by-products and fungal mycelium.
While all of the aforementioned are notable in their own right, they may have some serious competition now that Gert de Mulder's ‘Recy-Blocks' have burst onto the scene. The rectangular 100% plastic waste construction components are created by pressing reclaimed packaging material - which far too often ends up being a landfill casualty - into pillow shaped forms that achieve a solid state due to their exposure to high heat. Practical for internal and external building applications, the darling of Rotterdam's Material Xperience 2010 conference can also take on a far more decorative edge with the addition of pressed flowers.
What's your take on this new building material? Yay or nay?
Joe Laur
said on February 05, 2010
Zen LaBossiere Honeycutt
said on February 24, 2010