Green Options

Using colorful sand from the Iranian southern island of Hormuz, 25 artists have created the world’s largest sand carpet. This 12000-square-meter carpet consists of 70 different colored sands and is truly amazing!

Via:  payvand

Images:  Iranian Students’ News Agency

Editor’s note: You might expect a post about an event called NEOCON to appear on Red, Green & Blue, but, as our friends at GreenBuildingTalk point out, NEOCON is a trade show for interior furnishings (with no particular ideological leanings, we’re guessing). The show took place in GBT’s hometown of Chicago, so they got a first-hand look at NEOCON’s green offerings. This post was originally published on Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

The National Exposition of Contract Interior Furnishings (NEOCON) was held this past week in Chicago, and GreenBuildingTalk was there to check out the unique combination of over 1,200 residential and commercial showrooms and exhibits. With our goal of discovering new green products, Josh and I made our way through the maze of office furniture, flooring, wallcoverings, and hundreds of chairs.

Amidst the legions of chairs, our first discovery was RealForm Technology’s plant-based polyurethane foams, products used for seating applications. The polyurethane foams contain 20% bio-based content, and the company’s laboratory trials have achieved even higher Bio-Polyol substitution, foams capable of being molded for any type of furniture, including sofas. RealForm’s Realbio foam product is leading the way in eco-friendly furniture foam, and is one to keep an eye on.

Like many girls her age, my daughter loves Disney princesses; however, this eco-mom does not. Besides the lack of multiculturalism and the message of young women depending upon princes to rescue them, it is the “junk toy” quality of Disney products that keeps them out of our home. When my daughter saw that FLOR made modular carpet tiles from recycled content with Disney princesses on them, she thought her letter to Disney had worked and convinced the company to go green. Who am I to burst her bubble and tell her that FLOR Carpet Tiles are actually made by InterfaceFLOR.

InterfaceFLOR has created Mission Zero, a company pledge “to completely eliminate the negative impact our company may have on the environment by 2020.” The company further explains its commitment to sustainability:

• Our intention is to put back more than we take out
• Our intention is to eliminate waste and harmful emissions, whilst maximising our use of renewable energy
• We aim to recycle waste materials and reuse our products
• Our company culture fully integrates the principles of sustainability

There’s more than just bamboo when it comes to sustainable flooring. More green alternatives are available now for several types of flooring material. So, whether you’re looking to re-carpet the living room or want to re-do your kitchen, here are a few things to consider when thinking about flooring.

Buy recycled content or renewable materials.

• Bamboo and cork are renewable resources, as is wood when it is sustainably harvested.
• Look for

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