Madison Magazine, April 2008 issue

Some household products just look too good to be good for the earth, and the best-looking ones might just be in our own backyard

by Jennifer Garrett
You can please the eye and the earth at the same time. Many popular household products are environmentally friendly without even trying. But now environmentally minded designers are also considering not just what they use, but where it all comes from. Because already-green choices can get even greener if you shop smarter-and locally.

Locally Grown

Most eco-conscious architects, interior designers and homeowners know that natural materials are usually “greener” than synthetic counterparts. So wood floors are favored over nylon carpeting and slate is preferred to vinyl. But just because something is all-natural doesn’t mean it’s as green as it could be.
Take granite. When Melissa Destree of Destree Design Architects was designing an “active solar environmentally sensitive” house, she wanted to use local materials whenever possible. When it came time for the countertops, Destree’s clients wanted granite, but Destree knew that importing the heavy stone from Italy or China-the two most common sources-would “never be considered responsible choices” because of the fuel expended when shipping such a long distance.
She had heard of Wisconsin granite but had never used it, so she began to call around without much luck. She eventually turned to a distant relative who had retired from the stone business. “Within twenty-four hours we had five granite samples from local quarries from Wausau and Waterloo in our office,” she says. “There is nothing better than getting exactly what you want right in your backyard.”
Architect Bob Bouril of Bouril Design Studio agrees that the grass-or in his case, flooring-is greener in our own backyard, especially when compared to other products commonly marketed as environmentally friendly. “Bamboo may grow fast, but it is shipped from halfway around the world and requires an intensive manufacturing process,” he says. “We have native ash, birch, maple, oak and hickory growing right here. [They are] timeless, durable and will outlast the occupants.”
Interior designer Wendy Moore Skinner, a self-described recycling fanatic and owner of Moore Designs, also prefers to use local products and manufacturers. Not only does it cut down on shipping costs and fuel, but it also gives her more control over the output while supporting the local economy. “If you need a special coffee table, isn’t it possible to use a local woodworker and not pay for shipping and get exactly what you want?” she reasons. “It does make sense to think locally.”

Other Green Choices

Sometimes we throw the baby out with the bathwater. Wood and stone are so obviously natural that we think that everything else isn’t. Think again. Or consider these two flooring choices that were all but written off.
Carpet has gotten a bad rap. All the talk of off-gassing and durability has some fiber-loving folks shying away from soft surfaces. But carpeting can be green, and we’re not talking about avocado shag here. We’re talking about wool, a “sustainable and biodegradable fiber that is naturally hard-wearing and beautiful,” says Alyssa McDonald, an interior designer with Destree Design Architects. McDonald also points out some of wool’s other benefits: it is naturally dirt and soil-resistant and fire retardant.
And make a mental note of this: Linoleum and vinyl are not the same thing. Although most people use the terms interchangeably, the flooring cousins are actually quite dissimilar. The primary ingredients in linoleum are cork and linseed oil. Vinyl is a petroleum product. Linoleum is earth-friendly and, well, vinyl isn’t. Plus linoleum’s colors pack a punch that vinyl can’t match, and the warm waxy glow is cozy, not slick and plasticky. It’s biodegradable, and the brands carried at Madison’s Eco-Friendly Flooring are also antistatic (repels dust) and hypoallergenic.
So whether you’re shopping for flooring, countertops or anything else, there are always options that are greener than others. Don’t assume you know, because new products are coming onto and old favorites are returning to the market all the time. And remember: don’t just ask what something is made of; also ask where it comes from. Locally grown is often greener than comparable choices from afar.