Green Options » asphalt

Roof Shingles Made from Recycled Plastic and Rubber

Amiel Blajchman — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:35:13 +0000

Now, I’m no Bob Villa, but as a new homeowner who has to replace his roof, I have been looking into environmentally friendly alternatives to either asphalt or “premium” wood. And Enviroshake definitely falls into the first category. Made primarily of reclaimed materials, Enviroshake might just be the answer.

Piezoelectric Road Produces Electricity From Traffic

Andrew Williams — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:59:04 +0000

Engineers have created a new type of road capable of turning the vibration caused by cars into electricity.

The revolutionary new surface, created by engineers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, uses piezoelectric crystals embedded in the asphalt to generate up to 400 kilowatts of energy from a 1 kilometer stretch, enough to run eight electric cars.

Commenting on the innovation, a spokesman from the UK Environmental Transport Association said, “Many predict a massive shift to electric cars, and it may be the roads themselves that help provide some of the power needed.”

Asphalt As Renewable Energy Source

Adam Williams — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:25:19 +0000

The Environmental News Network shines a light on recent findings by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Asphalt, and all it’s heat-catching abilities, can be turned into a renewable energy source.

From the article:

“Through asphalt, the researchers are developing a solar collector that could turn roads and parking lots into ubiquitous—and inexpensive—sources of electricity and hot water.”

Daily Tip: Protect Your Floors Naturally with Carnauba Wax

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:49:53 +0000

Recently, I visited a local store called Solutions looking for an easy floor wax to revitalize my maple floors. I had done a little research online, and every product I read about required long periods of no traffic after application and buffing. I remembered my parents old buffing machine, and laughed at the prospect of buying yet another cleaning appliance. The owner of Solutions suggested Protex brand Premium Self-Polishing Wax made from 100% carnauba wax.

Carnauba wax comes from a Coperinica Cerifera palm tree, known as the "Tree of Life," of northeastern Brazil. It grows in moist regions, such as riverbanks, and reaches 25-50 feet. The fan-shaped leaves of the palm exudes the wax to protect the plant from dehydration. Palm leaves are cut from mature trees, sun dried, and then mechanically thrashed to extract the wax. Each tree produces about one kilo of powdered wax per yearly cutting. Workers carefully remove only 20 leaves per tree yearly to ensure the plant is not endangered. Carnauba wax is used in cosmetics, food, automobile wax, dental floss, surfboard wax, etc. If you have ever eaten candy corn, you have eaten carnauba wax. Apply this product to your floors, and you could literally eat off of them.

Protex brand Premium Self-Polishing Wax can be used on all floor surfaces, such as hardwood, cork, linoleum, asphalt, cement, terrazzo, etc. After mopping my old maple floors, I lightly applied the carnauba wax to the dry floors with a mop. After 30 minutes, the floor was safe for traffic and looked beautiful. Water droplets beaded nicely on the surface, and the floor had a beautiful shine. I am so pleased to discover this natural home product.

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