Green Countertops: Eco-Friendly Countertop Options:
Choose from a range of eco-friendly countertops for your kitchen or bath
Sustainable Solid-Surfacing Countertop
Each of the 25 colors, including Tranquil (shown), in the new Terra Collection from DuPont Corian ($40-$75 per square foot, installed) contains a minimum of 6 percent preconsumer recycled content, making these solid-surfacing countertops a good green option for the kitchen or bath.
Eco-Friendly Concrete Countertop
Concrete's durability and ease of maintenance are hard to match. For the most eco-friendly option, consider LEEDcrete, a family of concrete mixes composed of recycled paper fibers, glass, ceramics, industrial byproducts, locally available clay, and other minerals. ($150-$190 per square foot, installed).
Recycled Solid-Surfacing Countertop
Reclaimed solid-surfacing materials combine with glistening fragments from the Glass Series to form the Studio collection of recycled solid-surfacing countertops. Cozumel, shown here, is reminiscent of bottles on a white beach. Five other material combinations are available in the recycled series.
Bamboo Countertop
One of the most popular green materials, bamboo is an eco-friendly option for both floors and countertops. Shown here are the Flat Grain Dark bamboo countertop with All-Dark Multilam Core (top) and Fiber Dark bamboo countertop with Two-Tone Multilam Core (bottom). (Both $30 per square foot, installed.)
Stainless-Steel Countertop
Bacteria-resistant stainless steel is the countertop material of choice in restaurant kitchens. It is also eco-friendly, as it is does not deplete natural resources. To bring the professional look into your own kitchen, consider this stainless-steel countertop with rounded edge ($99 per square foot, installed).
Composite Countertop
Squak Mountain Stone ($40-$50 per square foot, uninstalled), a paper-and-cement-base composite, is an eco-friendly alternative to soapstone countertops. Shown in Otter (top) and Quinalt.
Recycled-Glass Countertop
Made from 100 percent recycled glass, Vetrazzo countertops are both eye-catching and eco-friendly. Colors include, from left: Bistro Green, Hollywood Sage, and Chivalry Blue ($55-$88 per square foot, excluding fabrication and installation).
Acrylic Solid-Surfacing Countertop
A green alternative to stone or laminate, LG HI-MACS acrylic solid-surfacing Eden Collection, shown in Lemongrass and Honeysuckle ($50-$60 per square foot, installed), is made with a minimum of 12 percent preconsumer recycled materials.
Bamboo Countertop
Constructed using formaldehyde-free adhesive, bamboo butcher-block countertops are available in natural and dark shades of three grain patterns, including Parquet End Grain Dark, shown here ($722.16 for a 72x36x2-inch slab).
Recycled-Fibers Countertop
This rock-hard countertop is made of recycled dollar bills and other fibers. It's shown here in Counterfit Green; other finishes are available ($65-$75 per square foot).
Article retrieved from www.remodelingcenter.com