At IIDEX: Green Concrete Counters from Concrete Elegance
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 09.29.08
TreeHugger visits IIDEX, the International Interior Design Exhibition, an annual trade-only design show in Toronto.
"Green" and "concrete" are two words that I never thought I would use together, but Alla Linetsky convinced me. She mixes up a special blend that is 77% recycled, 92% local and 30% lighter. She significantly cuts the amount of cement that goes into the concrete (the manufacture of cement is responsible for 5% of the world's greenhouse gases). This stuff won't pass any tests for concrete used in construction, but you don't need a structural countertop.
Interview with Alla Linetsky
They also note on their website that " Our manufacturing process uses minimal energy and produces very little waste. And all our ingredients are VOC-free and safe for use in concrete vessels that hold drinking water."
"Already our concrete can help a project attain six LEED credits. But our goals don’t end with LEED compliance – we are working to increase recycled and local content to over 95% without compromising strength, durability – and yes, beauty – of our concrete."::Concrete Elegance
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A great solution and personally I think it looks great.
But from what I see in advertising natural stone counters are going to be the norm for a while...
I love the idea of concrete countertops, especially now that they are more sustainable.
When renovating our kitchen last year, one of the concerns we had with concrete was staining. Apparently that was a problem in the past with this material.
I wonder, has this been improved?