Recycle materials for your house?
If you want to live in a house surrounded by plastic bottles, go ahead and start piling up. This has been done many times.
After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, an architect developed a system to build walls of plastic bottles bound with concrete and reinforced with a mesh of recycled material. In most cases though, bottle houses are rare, off-the-grid experiences.
However, green home builders report that high-end customers are ordering custom homes whose materials contain a higher percentage of recycled products than homes built with conventional materials. In the Bentley home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the walls are insulated with cellulose, a recycled material. The carpet comes from recycled plastic bottles and the tile is made from recycled car windshields.
Other recycled materials, such as steel, are also gaining popularity in home construction. A recycled steel house frame requires no more than the material from six scrapped cars. Composite wood made from recycled wood and plastic is also an option, especially for patios and outdoor living areas.
As builders have more and more recycled materials, buyers tend to launch big initiatives to use them. With more and more people taking the "green" train, these products are becoming more prevalent. Before long, there may be more homes like Bentley's in your neighborhood.
Yes, you can disconnect from the grid, partner with builders specializing in adobe and straw bale construction, and reduce the percentage of virgin materials in your home. But even the most spartan homes, whether it's heating or wiring, you'll have to break down and include a material made somewhere.
Written by Dago Guy Charles at the international department
ALLURE MAISON & JARDIN SAS
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