Did you know that spring is a popular time for renovations? Must be that we’ve all been cooped up in our homes all winter and are sick of the “same ole, same ole.” So, if you’re thinking about new paint, flooring, or furniture, we’d like to offer a few sustainable product suggestions for your home.

green flooring

There are quite a few choices on the market for sustainable wood floors, our favorites include cork, bamboo, or re-claimed hardwood floors from an old house. But what you may not know is that carpet can be sustainable too. Two companies who are working on environmentally friendly rugs and carpet are Shaw and FLOR.

Did you know that more than 5.6 billion pounds of carpet were discarded? The carpet industry is working on programs to encourage recycling. One of the many carpet companies who want to make sure all those tons of carpet are reused or recycled is Shaw. They have created carpets made from Nylon 6 that can be recycled repeatedly while keeping it’s aesthetic and performance properties.

We love FLOR’s modular carpet tiles–they’re creative, beautiful, and eco-friendly. FLOR’s founder is committed to sustainability and has designed the tiles from renewable and recycled content. Plus when you’re ready to update your room again in a few years, you can return your carpet tiles for recycling.

less-toxic paint

Household paint is full of harmful chemicals. It contains formaldehyde, pesticides, and other potential carcinogens. These are commonly known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs. In the past, low-VOC choices have left quite a bit to be desired as far as quality is concerned. But they manufacturers have been hard at work improving the paint in response to tougher regulations and consumer demand.

In the March Consumer’s Report article on household paint, they found some top-quality low-VOC choices fared quite well. And these paints are easy to find now too. Home Depot  carries a variety of low- and no-VOC paints. Don’t forget to choose eco-friendly paint brushes and rollers too.

sustainable furniture

It’s so tempting to rush out to Ikea and pick up a new living room complete with sofa, chairs, coffee table, lamps, and doodads, for $299.99. But we all know throw-away furnishings is just another one of our planet-killing habits.

Naturally, the best option is to reuse. Check out craigslist before you head to the retail stores. I picked up a great craftsman-style entertainment, complete with glass doors and lighting for $200. You can’t beat that! While I got lucky, my piece only needed to be dusted, you may have to use a bit of imagination, elbow grease, and a trip to the fabric or paint store. A little recovering can go a long way.

Of course, if you just have to have something new, buy a piece that’s going to last and is eco-friendly. Look for sustainably-harvested wood such as bamboo, oak, maple, and others. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is a great way to spot “green” furnishings. Or find a shop that makes new pieces from reclaimed wood, like the table here from Brooklyn Farm Table. If that’s not possible, avoid pieces made with toxic foam, fabrics, and finishings. Alternatives include natural latex for cushioning and hemp or recycled PET for fabric.

Now that you’re informed: get ready, get set, decorate! We’d love for you to share links to your favorite stores with us here. We’re always looking for more eco-friendly resources.

While we spend a lot of time discussing water conservation as a whole, we thought it would also be helpful to begin defining some of the pertinent terms and concepts.

In simple terms, gray water is defined as used water from your sink, shower, or washing machine. It doesn’t include water from your toilet (known as black water), or water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers (which contain food particles and other pollutants).

Gray water is contaminated and can’t be used for drinking. However, it’s a great way to water your lawn. Americans’ lawns account for about 30 percent of residential water consumption—or 2 billion gallons a day. Worse yet, most Americans water their yards with the same water they drink. Gray water not only has the potential to save a tremendous amount of fresh water, some studies have shown that the cleaning solvents in gray water may also be an effective fertilizer.

how to collect gray water

Sold yet? If so, there are some simple, elbow-grease solutions for collecting gray water—like plugging the sink and scooping out the used water in buckets. You can take those buckets of water and dump them directly into plant soil.

If the thought of scooping your own bath water doesn’t exactly appeal to you (it doesn’t really appeal to us either), there are cheap DIY-systems that involve simply rerouting washing machine water to your garden through a hose. One thing to keep in mind: Be sure to use a filter to catch food, dirt, or hair. Visit the World Wild Fund for Nature for step-by-step instructions.

Are you recycling your gray water? Which method do you like the best? Share your tips with our readers.

photo credit: rubenerd