Some Ideas

• Organically Grown Fabrics and Upholstery Made From Natural Materials
  There are an increasing number of companies that are practicing environmentally sound methods of fabric and textile production.
  • Design Tex, Inc. carries non-toxic fabrics made from recycled materials for all applications. Their products contain no ozone depleting chemicals.
  
  
  
• Paints
  • Lifemaster 2000 (by Glidden): A paint that contains no petroleum or other organic solvents, has no VOC's, and is odor-free when dry
  • HealthSpec (by Sherwin-Williams): Low Odor Interior Latex Enamel, Zero VOC Paint
  
  
  
• Balls
  
  • Terra-Green Technologies: They manufacture ceramic tile that has a high-recycled glass content (from 55% to 70%, depending on specific product line). The tiles are non-toxic, and are single fired at lower temperatures, which means they require lower energy input for manufacturing.
  • Bedrock Industries: They make Blazestone recycled glass tile, which is made of 100% recycled glass.
  • Crossville Ceramics: They make Eco-Cycle Porcelain Tile, which is made from recycled materials.
  
  
  
• Bathroom Products
  • Symmons Industries, Inc. Extra-efficient faucets: They feature premixed hot and cold water, which increases water and energy savings. They are self-closing, have an adjustable flow cycle, and are also available with temperature selection.
  • Briggs Plumingware: Manufactures the "Ultra Conserver" toilet, which uses 1.1 to 1.5 gallons per flush. It uses gravity-flush technology.
  • GFX by WaterFilm Energy, Inc: Graywater Heat Recovery System is a new plumbing product developed under a U.S. Department of Energy Grant that recycles the enormous amount of energy carried by hot drain water from residential showers and sinks. According to the DOE, the energy equivalent to 2 billion gallons of oil is wasted every year in the U.S.
  
  
  
• Carpet
  • Image Carpets Manufacture Enviro-Tech: A carpet made from recycled post-consumer plastic (PET, Polyethylene Terephtalate) fibers.
  • Envirelon Commercial Carpet System by Talisman Mills: Carpet made from pile yarns made of 100% PC recycled plastic bottles.
  
  
  
• Solar Panels
  Real Goods Wide Range of Green productsfrom solar panels to solar cookers to books about sustainable living.
  
  
• Furniture
  Furniture is one of the most visible features of a home, and is often one of the major purchases undertaken. It is therefore important to ensure that the purchasing process takes into consideration environmental criteria.
  
  • Can any of the existing furniture be refurbished?
  • Remember, refurbishing not only makes environmental sense but it saves money too.
  Resource Input:
  • Non organic solvent-based adhesives are used in manufacturing
  • The furniture's foams do not contain CFCs or HCFCs.
  • The wood materials used in the furniture are grown and harvested in a sustainable manner. The company can provide documentation (i.e., certification) for the following woods: mahogany, teak, rosewood, and white oak.
  • Metal and plastic parts contain recycled content, preferably including maximized post-consumer content.
  
  
  • Furnature for the Environment: An example of a company that has made it a priority to substitute organic and natural materials for the chemically based materials normally found in many of today's upholstery for furniture. The decorative fabrics used in their furniture are made with 100% organically grown cotton, certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During the production process used by Furnature of the Environment, their furniture is encapsulated with a barrier mite-shield cloth to eliminate dust mites.
  
  
  
• Green Filters: Houseplants and Air Quality
  Researchers are looking into houseplants to help combat polluted indoor air. Particleboard, synthetic fibers and plastics that are found commonly in homes and offices emit harmful formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOC's) over years of exposure. Paints, household cleaners, varnishes, carpeting and tobacco smoke are other problems. Research suggests that reducing these pollutants could be as simple as purchasing a houseplant.

Eco-Interiors: A Guide to Environmentally Conscious Interior Design by Grazyna Pilatowicz.

This book identifies the best materials and methods architects can use to enhance energy consumption and minimize waste and pollution on fixtures and furnishings.

Ensuring a Healthy Indoor Environment by D. Gilbert

From the Walls In by Charles Wing

Green Design: A Guide to the Environmental Impacts of Building Materials by AFox, R. Murrell