Today, another set of finish options to personalize your LivingHome.  Configure a home to select your favorite.  And don’t forget to create an account so you can save and show off your LivingHome creation to any friends you select.

Each LivingHome uses innovative, eco-friendly surfaces for your kitchen and bathroom counters. For a product to meet our strict sustainability requirements, they must contribute to our Z6 goals.  Countertops can be made of recycled materials that are both durable and beautiful, contributing to Zero Waste by reducing the demand for raw materials and/or for Zero Carbon when there is less or no energy requirement to create or transport the materials.  When the resins and glues that hold these aggregates together are low-emitting, they also contribute to Zero Emissions.

These are some of the products we’ve used in LivingHomes.

PaperStone

Made from 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard or paper, a non-petroleum resin made partially from cashew shell oils, and dyed with organic pigments, PaperStone has a low impact on the environment and contributes to the healthy air inside your LivingHome.  PaperStone is highly abrasion-resistant and absorbs very little water.

The PaperStone Certified line is Smartwood-certified by the Rainforest Alliance to FSC standards.  Additionally, PaperStone publishes its Environmental Impact Statistics here, so that we know exactly how sustainable it is.  In 2006, PaperStone was named a Top Ten Green Building Product by Building Green.

IceStone

IceStone countertops contain 100% recycled glass mixed with concrete.  They are VOC-free, non-toxic, and contain no petroleum-derived material.  The company follows a “Triple Bottom Line” policy that takes financial outcomes and environmental and social performance into account.  IceStone operates manufacturing and office facilities that aim for carbon-neutrality, water conservation, and waste reduction.  IceStone monitors the life cycle of its products by ensuring they can be recycled and encouraging suppliers to improve their own levels of sustainability.  Their mission statement addresses corporate ethics and social responsibility.

A Cradle to Cradle Gold certification ensures that the IceStone uses safe and healthy materials designed for reuse and recycling, efficiently uses energy and water during production, and institutes strategies for social responsibility.  IceStone Countertops won the 2009 Green Log Home Awards

Caesarstone

CaesarStone quartz surfaces utilize post-production recycled quartz reclaimed from the fabrication process and post-consumer recycled glass and mirrors. Quartz, the main component of the countertops, is a plentiful natural resource used to create durable, non-porous, non-toxic surfaces. CaesarStone’s environmental agenda includes a commitment to ecologically responsible production practices, the use of recycled materials, and the implementation of recognized sustainable industry standards.  The company works to reduce their ecological footprint by saving water and energy, re-using post-production industrial materials, using recyclable packaging, and reducing soil pollution and CO2 emissions.

CaesarStone surfaces are designed to comply with international environmental protection standards.  CaesarStone surfaces are GREENGUARD-certified, so they reduce indoor air emissions.

Eco-Cem

Coverings ETC produces a line of Future Friendly ECOverings for glass slabs, concrete slabs, porcelain tiles, and terrazzo tiles and slabs that utilize reclaimed, recycled, recyclable, and naturally occurring materials.  Eco-Cem slabs are a mix of flyash embedded concrete and wood pulp.  Made with post-consumer and pre-consumer content, Eco-Cem saves trees, reduces landfills, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions.  Eco-Cem is also non-toxic and formaldehyde-free.

Coverings ETC’s social responsibility statement includes sustainable practices in their offices and facilities, the production of sustainable products, implementation of green initiatives, and participation in education and charitable programs.

DuPont Zodiaq

The DuPont Zodiaq Terra collection consists of durable, non-porous, GREENGUARD-certified quartz countertops.  These surfaces contain 25-50% post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content.

DuPont strives to achieve zero emissions and zero waste generation at the source.  A set of 2015 sustainability goals guide DuPont’s efforts to sell products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, use more non-depletable resources, and help make people safer globally.  DuPont commits itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air carcinogens, improving water conservation, and introducing fuel efficent fleet vehicles.  The company also shows its social responsibility through community outreach and education.  DuPont publishes reports of its performance on its website; their 2008 Sustainability Progress Report can be downloaded from here.

All these products play a role in LEED certification for a LivingHome.