th comments
Eric Dewhirst said: "Congrats - Ben, Ben and Matthew, Great idea and definitely needed - perhaps some funding could go for some carriers as well? I remember it..." [read]

Dave said: "20 mins on my bike. 8km. Its always faster than driving/bus and we have little traffic and excellent puplic transport here in Christchurch, New Zea..." [read]

PricklyPear said: "Well, my family is working hard to be greener... but it isn't always easy. My husband drives almost every day from his home office into one..." [read]

Christoph Wienands said: "Hey, where is the three car garage for my family's SUvs :-)..." [read]

ron said: "thanks for attacking me, warren. that drivel about the worst part of leather being the tanning process is bs. it's raising the cows..." [read]

Christoph Wienands said: "Even if the electricity for an EV was produced by a coal-fired plant, it's carbon footprint would still be by multiples better than if it had an in..." [read]

Interface Carpet Keeps Cleaning Up Its Act

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.24.08
Design & Architecture

interface-sustainability-report-2007.jpg

File this one in the 'how to do it right' category: earlier this week, Interface Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpet tiles, released their 2007 "ecometrics," measuring the impact of their operations on the planet. Among the impressive numbers: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are down 82 percent from the 1996 baseline, while total energy intensity (use per unit of output) is down 45 percent from 1996. In a nutshell, these numbers mean that they've learned how to make more carpet with less energy, emissions and pollution.

In addition to typical financial metrics like profit and loss, Interface began tracking their ecometrics in 1996, measuring energy and water intake, waste streams, greenhouse gas emissions, and raw materials streams, to evaluate its progress towards the goal of sustainability and doing business in ways that minimize the impact on the environment.

Read more: Interface Carpet Keeps Cleaning Up Its Act

Bamboo Wood Flooring from Smith & Fong Earns FSC Certification

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.14.08
Design & Architecture

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Awhile back, when TreeHugger Lloyd asked if bamboo flooring was really TreeHugger green, he noted that the lack of chain of custody certification made it tough to tell whether or not the bamboo came from sustainable sources. There's no arguing that bamboo is quickly renewable, but its green benefits can be canceled out if growing and harvesting it result in deforestation and habitat and biodiversity loss. Thankfully, some of the guesswork has been taken out of this process with today's announcement that Smith & Fong has secured Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for its bamboo flooring and plywood.

This certification enables the company to produce "the world's first range of FSC-certified bamboo plywood and flooring," according to their press release. Combined with Smith & Fong's use of glues with negligible levels of formaldehyde, a pretty nasty carcinogen and contributor to indoor air pollution, the certification makes the company's bamboo products a pretty green choice.

Read more: Bamboo Wood Flooring from Smith & Fong Earns FSC Certification

Drysystem by Tau Allows for Ceramic Tile Reuse

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona on 03.25.08
Design & Architecture

tau-drysystem

A new technique for construction caught our eye at Barcelona’s material library Mater (more about that below): Drysystem. Drysystem is a new tile laying system, developed by the Spanish ceramic company TAU, that doesn’t require getting your hands dirty. This new way of putting tiles doesn’t require any kind of adhesive; the pieces simply slot into each other. 45x90 cm tiles can be slotted seamlessly into a polymer base.

Read more: Drysystem by Tau Allows for Ceramic Tile Reuse

InterfaceFLOR Launches FairWorks; Socially Responsible Luxury Flooring

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona on 03.18.08
Design & Architecture

InterfaceFLOR-Launches-FairWorks

InterfaceFLOR, the leading sustainable carpet company (FLOR and Button Rug), has added a new category called FairWorks to their sustainable flooring options. This time, sustainability wasn’t the only aspiration, but InterfaceFLOR made sure their new products are also socially responsible. The collection promises new sustainable materials and traditional skills from around the world in the shape of unique, eco-luxury flooring.

Read more: InterfaceFLOR Launches FairWorks; Socially Responsible Luxury Flooring

Wayback Machine 1936: Linoleum

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.22.08
Design & Architecture

2008-02-22_092738-Treehugger-linoleum.jpg

I love linoleum; it is completely natural (made from linseed oil and flax), durable and nice looking. About the only knock against it is the energy used to bake it. Modern Mechanix describes its manufacture in 1936; little has changed since.

"In 1863, Fredrick Walton, a youthful inventor of Yorkshire, England, made a great discovery in an open paint pot, over the contents of which the usual scum had formed. Turning his inventive genius to the matter of a use for this tough scum, he developed the idea for a new material which brought fine floors within reach of the average family for the first time."

Read more: Wayback Machine 1936: Linoleum

West Coast Green wrapup

by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.30.07
Design & Architecture

West Coast Green

West Coast Green – when they billed it as the biggest green building conference on this coast, they weren’t lying. It was huge and the lineup of speakers was excellent. There were roughly 4 tracks a day with at least 40 different sessions going on at the same time so there was no way to come even close to seeing everything. It was amazing!

Read more: West Coast Green wrapup

FLOR Goes Retro-Mod with Shag and Hopskotch (?) in New Collection

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.11.07
Design & Architecture

flor-souk-chic-grey.jpg

FLOR, the fab modular carpet tiles, have matched up with Martha Stewart, gone out to the patio, celebrated 10 years green and even found time to get named to TreeHugger's Best Designers list. Their latest trick: a catalog full of new ideas, including some really creative, colorful designs that push the carpet tiles way beyond blocks of solid color. To wit: Souk Chic, pictured above, a "very modern take on the nearly thousand-year-old practice of knotting together still-vibrant sections of otherwise worn Turkish and Persian rugs to form a new, patchwork of color and pattern (early recycling!)" When it comes to modern-day recycling, remember that FLOR does what they call Return-Recycle service (a little R&R) as part of their environmental initiatives. After the jump: FLOR goes shag (really!) and has some fun with Hopskotch. ::FLOR via ::Apartment Therapy

Read more: FLOR Goes Retro-Mod with Shag and Hopskotch (?) in New Collection

Shagadelic: Bamboo Area Shag Rug

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
Design & Architecture

anji_mountain_bamboo_rug.jpg

We never thought you'd see these words on TreeHugger: check out this killer shag rug. Made by the Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co., the shagadelic rugs are 80% bamboo, 20% cotton. Despite the retro moniker, the rugs have a decidedly modern feel, and the shagginess gives it almost a faux-animal-skin-rug feel. Adding the bamboo is a nice touch; the same anti-microbial, anti-bacterial properties that benefit bamboo apparel are at work here, making it soft to the touch and a good option for floorcoverings. While we know that all bamboo is not created equal, it beats a lot of conventional alternatives. Plus, we just like that it's a shag rug that doesn't suck. ::Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co. via ::MoCo Loco

We'll be working on better category archives soon. In the meantime, take a look at the weekly archive if you really want to dig around, or use the search box at the top of the page.

TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!

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