AN ECO FRIENDLY COUNTERTOP
One person's trash is another's treasure!
Eco friendly countertops are made from recycled
and reused materials.
The materials used in composite and recycled countertops (the terms recycled and composite are interchangeable) are an eclectic group. Some products are (believe it or not) paper-based, using new or recycled paper. The paper is impregnated with earth friendly resins and formed in a myriad of ways. You may have had a morning cup of coffee on a paper countertop and not even knew!
Some eco friendly countertops reuse old glass or a combination of paper, fly-ash—a by-product of coal combustion. Still others use scrap aluminum chips and in most cases, all are combined with a binder made from resins, epoxy or cement.
There are so many good attributes, including: • Positive environmental impact - Most have some measure of positive environmental effect either in the materials and/or the methods used to make the material.
• Durability and stain resistance on some types - The products that use a large percentage of recycled glass in a cement mix offer strength and stain resistance similar to the quartz and engineered stone products. Because 80% to 90% of the surface area is glass, which is non-porous, most of the countertop will be impenetrable to staining. A sealer can protect the remainder of the surface from stains.
• Innovation and individuality - Some eco friendly countertop products offer unique looks and design possibilities and haven't yet reached the level of "everybody has it".
• Good alternate to other countertop materials - Several types of composite and recycled countertops provide good alternatives to other countertop choices by offering similar looks for lower cost or less maintenance; ceramic cement in instead of concrete for example or recycled glass instead of stone.
...And some drawbacks:
• Newness within the marketplace - Some eco friendly countertops are still very new in the marketplace so long term care requirements and durability are yet to be seen.
Variability in the amount of green-ness - Certain makers of recycled countertops use recycled materials but combine them with petroleum-based binders or other less-green processes. If you're looking for products with a high environmental impact, look closely at what goes into their makeup and production.
Level of care required - Products that use concrete or other type of cement-based ingredients require care similar to stone countertops. This usually involves sealing the surface periodically. To do that requires you to move everything off your countertop to seal the surface and let it cure.
Repairability - Consider how and if the type of composite or recycled countertop you might choose can be repaired if necessary. A countertop whose surface area is made up of 80-90% of recycled glass might chip if something hard enough is dropped on it. Most product makers eventually develop means for repairs but newer products may not achieve that level of market maturity for a while.
Availability - Certain countertops may be harder to get based on a limited dealer network, recency in the marketplace or a combination of both. Most manufacturers ultimately want to sell you their product and will find a way to do that, either directly or through a local dealer/distributor. Buying countertops 'remotely' is not new however the process requires some additional up-front logistics work to ensure it's made, shipped and installed correctly.
In the end, going green is the way to go. Despite the drawbacks, environmentally friendly products and materials will eventually overtake the market and the choice will be made for you. In the meantime, you'll feel better about yourself and your environment and you'll know you were trying to do the right thing, right now.
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