Wait a minute, aren’t all countertops eco-friendly if they are made out of granite or something? Not necessarily. They may use glues and other compounds in their installation that will emit VOC’s, or the granite may have been collected in a fashion that gives no regard to the environment. Worse yet, many luxury countertop materials are quarried or mined by workers in third-world countries under harsh conditions and then the countertop is sold to you at a huge markup. There are alternatives made from recycled glass and concrete that look even better than their non-eco counterparts.

Eco by Cosentino
This company offers a durable, attractive surface made from 75% recycled material. One of their products is pictured above. Available throughout North America; they have a dealer locator on their site.

Caeserstone
Uses recycled material wherever possible.

Icestone
LEED member company, Cradle to Cradle Gold certification, and member of the Green Building Council. Not only do they make their countertops from recycled material, they do so in a renovated day-lit factory in the US Navy yard in Brooklyn, bringing green jobs to the US.

Tags: eco-friendly countertops, eco-friendly kitchen, granite countertops, natural stone counters, organic counters, organic kitchen, recycled counters, recycled countertops

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