Add texture to walls with these modular, recycled wallpaper tiles from Vivavi.
By Misty McNally
Shopping for sustainable home furnishings couldn’t be easier if you follow these basic rules.
Rule #1
Salvage, reuse, reclaim or repurpose it. Attempt to give every item—a chair, a half-used can of paint, reclaimed wood flooring—a second life, particularly if it’s made from natural materials. When you reuse items, there’s less demand for new goods—which results in less mining, logging, milling or manufacturing in the long run. You can locate many recycled materials at construction exchanges or local salvage yards.
Rule #2
Choose natural and renewable. The most preferred natural choices for your home are made from promptly renewable resources including wool, wheat, bamboo or cork. Wood is renewable, but it takes decades for a tree to grow. Stone is not renewable, but it requires less embodied energy than metal. Many natural materials will ultimately biodegrade or disintegrate when disposed of.
Rule #3
Buy recycled. Recycling saves trash from landfills and provides it with a new life. Glass and metal may be melted down and refabricated. In wood recycling, the resulting product is of lower quality than the original product. Recycled wood becomes wood pulp, which becomes paper, which becomes recycled paper.
Rule #4
Seek out the least harmful option. Some products don’t fall into any of the sustainable categories but may still be worthwhile choices as they are less harmful to the environment than their conventional counterparts. Examples include paints that have lower emissions of toxic chemicals and some kinds of carpet squares that can be returned to the manufacturer for recycling.
Desired materials
Natural interior decorating is more than a pursuit for beauty; it’s a commitment to materials that are healthy for your family and the earth. Try to locate items with these qualities: Locally harvested or made, organic, non-genetically modified, nontoxic, reusable, compostable, and recyclable/downcyclable.
Paint
Traditional. conventional paints, especially oil-based types of paint, outgas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during their evaporation process. VOCs not only smell bad, but they also contribute to poor indoor air quality that can lead to health problems including, but not limited to, respiratory, skin and eye irritation; headaches; nausea; and muscle weakness.
• Milk or casein paint is made of milk protein (casein), which is renewable, and small amounts of mineral pigments, which are non- renewable. Favorably, the paint is extremely durable and as an added bonus, it has little odor and is nontoxic.
• Natural or organic oil paint relies on compounds originating in nature such as plant oils, insect-based shellacs, beeswax and citrus extracts. These give off natural VOCs, and the odors may be strong. Synthetic compounds may also be added, so check for details on the label or the product’s Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which is legally required to list hazardous materials. The MSDS can be obtained from the manufacturer in most cases or located online.
• Zero-VOC or low-VOC paint is an ideal solution for covering walls that have already been painted and you may not need a primer if the existing surface is in good shape. These paints, while synthetic, have significantly fewer VOC emissions than their conventional counterparts. “Zero”-VOC finishes may release minute amounts of VOCs—especially if they use VOC-containing colorants—but the levels are far below federal standards. They’re lower in odors as well.
• “Recycled” paint can mean different things in different locations. Some recycling districts collect unused paint and remix it into inexpensive blends, a great technique for keeping unused paint out of landfills. However, this blend of conventional paints may have higher VOCs than are desirable for indoor use. Unused or partly used cans of “recycled” paint also are available from construction exchanges; look for low-VOC types. Be sure to ask if you are unsure.
Wallcoverings
The concern with most wallpaper and wallcoverings is the addition of a plastic called polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to the backing or surface. PVC is suspected of causing a host of health problems and illnesses and its manufacturing process is environmentally hazardous. Check for a PVC-free version and use natural wallpaper paste or low-VOC adhesives whenever possible.
• Wallpaper or textiles can be made from an assortment of natural fibers such as wood pulp, linen (from the flax plant), silk, cotton or rice. They also may be made from recycled paper; try to locate high recycled or natural-fiber content if possible.
• Paneling options with green, eco-friendly qualities include wood, bamboo, cork byproducts from the production of beverage stoppers, or biocomposites (agricultural crop byproducts, such as wheat, pressed into woodlike boards). Reclaimed wood is an excellent eco-choice.
Upholstery, linens, and other textiles
• Wool is a favorite product, famous for warmth and durability, plus it absorbs 30 times its weight in water. Try to locate wool from sustainable farms.
• Cotton when grown conventionally, uses more pesticides than any other crop. Organic cotton is healthier for the earth and is readily available in sheets, towels and upholstery fabric.
• Silk cultivation is natural, but not cruelty free. To obtain long silk fibers, silk makers boil the silkworms in their cocoons to kill them before they mature and tear through their silk encasements. A few makers are producing “vegetarian” or “peace” silk by harvesting wild cocoons after the moth leaves. Try to locate silk producers that prohibit child labor.
• Hemp cultivation is not allowed in the United States, but the fiber is an excellent product for durable textiles such as towels.
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