EcoDomo: Recycled Leather Tiles for Flooring, Wallcovering
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.18.08
TreeHugger knows that all leather is not created equal, but there are ways to do it greener than the conventional chromium-tanning process. One of those greener ways to use the remarkably durable material is to recycle it, by using industrial scraps and byproducts of other manufacturing; if it's going to be used anyway, we might as well clean up the mess and put it to good use.
Such is the strategy of EcoDomo, who make durable, versatile floor tiles and wallcoverings out of a recycled leather composite. The company collects scraps discarded from producing upholstery for leather goods like BMWs and luxury handbags; the scraps are ground into shreds and mixed with water, natural rubber, and acacia bark. The manufacturing is done a closed loop system to conserve water, and the finished product is eligible for LEED credits as a recycled, low-VOC material -- check out the green features section of their site for more details and hit the jump for more pics of the tiles in action. ::EcoDomo via ::Metropolis
As always, treehugger is out front with great product finds. Thanks for all that you do.
Just to clarify, though, one can not receive LEED points for a product, per se, but a percentage of, say, recycled material used overall in a project, etc.
It seems that this idea of products being LEED certified or the ability to receive points by merely implementing a specific product is rampant, and I wanted to help stop it from rolling down the hill and gaining more speed.
Cheers,
Darby
**Author's note**
Hi Darby,
That's an important note -- thank you!
-CD
James Whistler once gilded a room of ancient Spanish leather wall covering. Very beautiful, but also, if you're not James Whistler, a horrible abuse of cultural heritage.
how much do these ecodemo leather floor tiles cost a square foot (or per tile)?