Related Posts
Go Green: A List of Green Home Improvements You Can Do for Free! (Part 1)
When it comes to making your home more green or sustainable, most articles will make the same suggestions....
How to turn your home office Green
Working from home is becoming popular for office workers who have been shaken by the increasing fuel prices....
Go Green: A List of Green Home Improvements You Can Do for Free! (Part 3)This week, I am covering the final segment of Green Home Improvements You Can Do for Free. So...
Build It Green: Can You Make Your Home Eco-Friendly?
It seems we’ve spent that last few decades building the concrete jungle and skyscrapers that blocked off the...
You Gotta Get A Gimmick: What Companies Do To Go GreenAs the song from the seminal Broadway classic “Gypsy” says, “If you want to --, you gotta get...
Get your Eco Starter Kit
Create an account and start harvesting Carbon Credits! Exchange your Carbon Credits for green goodies, like the Eco-Hatchery Starter Kit!
-
Green network users
2,992 Users - Show All
Green Directory
Tip of the Day
To save energy, remember to turn off the light when leaving a room
5 great green materials for home improvement
It can be hard to buy green, there are a lot of products out there with a dubious supply history and ensuring that they are actually green can be a real challenge. To help you out below is a list of materials that you can either be sure are green or have reliable certification so that you can at least know that the harvesting was ecologically friendly.
Abaca:
Abaca grass. Image by Heather Cowper
This little known crop comes from a specific type of banana tree, though unfortunately you can’t eat it. It is indigenous to the Philippines but it is also grown in Ecuador and Costa Rica as commercial crop for small farmers.
Abaca fibres used to be known as manila hemp, after the capital of the Philippines and were traditionally used to make rope and paper. In fact that is where the term manila envelope comes from. They are now used to make clothes, mattresses and rugs. Because the entire plant is used when it’s harvested Abaca is seen as being extremely green by those in the know. Although not widely known the tough yet flexible fibres are widely used in industry. For example you can find them in dollar bills, tea bags and even laptops.
Bamboo:
Given that you are reading Green Fudge I’m sure you are already aware of many of the uses of bamboo. The fact of the matter is that bamboo seems to be so useful that it’s hard to think of a product that it hasn’t been used to make. From houses to bicycles and even clothes!
The technology to produce bamboo cloth has only recently become available and there are some concerns over the toxicity of the sodium hydroxide used to bleach the viscose in the initial stages. However the ease of washing it out and can be neutralised after use to make sodium sulphide salt, which despite the name is harmless. In addition the fast growth rate of bamboo means there is no need for damaging pesticides or fertilisers in its growth, meaning that it is both green and competitive.
Seagrass:
One of the oddest plants being used to create green materials is seagrass which is used to make from rugs to wicker work. This underwater plant provides naturally stain resistant option and as well as being as strong and durable as other options for wicker. It is also a great way to turn your furniture into a talking point!
Because seagrass has only recently started to be farmed in large quantities this has ensured it has gained a lot of attention from conservationists. This means it has to be harvested in an environmentally friendly way. A huge advantage of Seagrass cultivation is that the side effects of its production are actually beneficial as it creates ecosystems, stabilises the seabed and helps protect against coastal erosion.
Hemp:
Hemp bike. Image by Harry Harms
You know this had to come up! Traditionally used make rope, hemp is part of the cannabis family. Fortunately, (I think) hemp won’t get you high. Unless it’s from knowing how green you are. Like Abaca and Bamboo it is fast growing and can be made into a huge range of products, from bricks, to clothing and even fuel!
Hemp’s other big selling point is that it can be used as a ‘mop crop’ meaning that it can remove contaminants from soil such excess phosphorus and even radiation. Having said that there are some disadvantages to hemp as well, not least the fact it’s still tied to the beards and sandals stereotype! It also isn’t the most comfortable of fibres, meaning that it will be a challenge to persuade people to switch from more comfortable options such as cotton.
Wood:
We are all familiar with wood, especially as it provides such a versatile material for interiors, it is used to make everything from paper to wooden blinds and houses. Having said that, of all the materials mentioned in this article wood is the most likely to be exploited. Illegal and unregulated logging leads to a massive loss of forests which are vital for producing oxygen, clean water and sustaining bio diversity. In part this ease of destruction is because trees grow far more slowly than the other plants mentioned in article.
Despite this if wood is environmentally and ethically sourced then it can be one of the greenest materials out there. FSC approved sources plantations and forests ensure that all trees taken are replaced meaning that the forests and the biodiversity are maintained. Wood manufacture also requires fewer chemicals than many other options and it is stronger than many other green materials.
I hope this post helps to showcase some of the green materials out there and the amazing range of products that they can be used to make.
By Daniel Frank
Tags: abaca, bamboo, eco-friendly home products, green home improvements, hemp, seagrass, wood
Other Greenfudge.org posts
Natural Disasters: Signs that Earth can’t bear more
Natural disasters are unpredictable and can traumatize any individual irrespective of their caste, creed, sex, age or gender. It has various forms like flood, lightening, earthquake, volcanic eruptions etc. It can damage or totally annihilate your immediate environment and its effects can be evident for a much long time after it passes away. A natural disaster can damage the whole community as well. The children who undergo these disasters experience their effects for a long time. It many a times...
Plastic bag bans in LA and UK
If you buy groceries in Los Angeles, California, you soon may have to bring your own reusable shopping bags with you. A Los Angeles city councilman has proposed the outright ban of both plastic and paper disposable shopping bags at LA grocery stores. Instead of polluting the oceans with billions of plastic bags and adding to litter with wasteful paper bags, LA shoppers will be expected to use their own bags or purchase reusable ones at the city’s supermarkets. From the LA...
High School Students Develop Artificial Tree
Two junior high school students from Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science has garnered attention for their designs of an artificial “tree” – a creation made from metal which absorbs carbon dioxide. The first working model of these "artificial tree towers" should be done by June of 2010. This technology is by no means new, but the teens hope that making their own artificial tree, they could pave the way for small-scale consumer efforts in the future. Read the full...
The next Great Flood of Paris – a question of time
In January 1910 the Seine River burst its banks and water streamed into the streets of Paris, entering the city's basements and Métro tunnels. Now, the Great Flood's 100-year anniversary may inspire quaint feelings of nostalgia among some residents of the City of Light, but it should also be cause for concern. Another comparable flood could happen again at any time. 'But the Great Flood lingers without difficulty in the collective consciousness here—and these iconic photographs of a classical Paris submerged...
Creature Feature: The American Burying Beetle
This week’s Creature Feature turns to a species class that many people are not exactly fond of—some people even fear them—but they deserve their turn in the spotlight all the same. The American Burying Beetle, or Giant Carrion Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), is a critically endangered species and native to North America. They are between 25 and 45 mm in size (roughly 1 to 2 inches) and have a shiny, black body with orange-red markings. This creature is carnivorous and it’s food—and breeding...
Endangered Species of the Week: Hyacinth macaw
Species: (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) Status: Endangered (EN) Interesting Fact: The hyacinth macaw is the world’s largest species of parrot! At up to a meter in length and with striking cobalt blue feathers, the hyacinth macaw is certainly a stunning parrot. This species lives in the forests and grasslands of South America, mainly in Brazil, where it feeds mainly on the nuts of native palms. While its powerful bill might make short work of most of these, the acuri nut is so hard that the parrots...
Breaking News: Save the drama for Obama – developing countries stage boycott at Copenhagen climate conference
It has been expected from the start of the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen that there would be a clash of interests between the developing world and the wealthy industrialized countries. The rich nations cause most of the pollution and the poor ones suffer the most from its effects. So they would like some recompense or – depending on which nation you ask – at least be able to industrialize and pollute their way into the developed countries club. As...
Second volcano erupts on Java: Mount Bromo spewing hot ash
While the Merapi volcano on the Indonesian island of Java is still active, a second volcano – Mount Bromo – erupted today, around 5:40 pm local time. Mount Bromo, a volcano located about 275 km (170 miles) east of Mount Merapi, spew dark grey ash cloud of half a kilometer (0,3 miles) into the air. Although the Bromo volcano erupts at least once a year and although it currently does not pose a treat to the residents of the region surrounding...
How to Take Care of Common Pet Conditions at Home
My dog was hit by a car last week. The incident resulted in her needing two splints: one for a dislocated elbow and one for a broken joint. Being that she’s lost some use of her legs, we’ve had to help carry her around. If you’ve ever had a medium-to-large sized dog with an injured limb, you’ll know how difficult this can sometimes be—especially if the dog has reached its golden years. Now, I try to give my animals the best...
London’s Battersea Power Station is Going Green
A couple years ago, I went through a 2 month period of misadventure in the UK. During time spent over there I briefly got to see the Battersea Power Station. I didn’t think much of it at the time, other than “hey, that was in Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere film”. It would seem I am not the only person that considered the Battersea Power Station of interest, for whatever reason. In the past, it has been used on album covers of bands...
View all articles
You can also log in to post a comment.