Recycled countertops, made of a variety of materials, from recycled paper to reused plastic, offer homeowners an abundance of green choices. Whether someone wants to be adventurous with chunky glass and swirled metallics or simply add a personal touch in the kitchen, bath, or laundry room, recycled materials offer stylish options. And green building guidelines, such as LEED for Homes and the NAHB National Green Building Program, award credits for products made with recycled content.
A blend of ceramic cement, recycled glass, and fly ash, VitraStone sinks and surfaces look much like concrete. Ryan Waxman, the company’s owner, says that before green products became an issue, high-end clients simply liked the way his products looked. Not only is the material greener than traditional concrete, but it also can feature decorative inlays and custom colors and shapes.
Tiger Mountain Innovations offers a countertop material with the upscale appeal of stone that is actually made of recycled paper and recycled glass plus fly ash and cement. Ameé Quiriconi, the company’s president, says her products appeal to people looking for something different. The company’s Squak Mountain Stone line compares to honed limestone, slate, or soapstone, with a rough, straight-from-the-quarry look and a surface marked by air bubbles and subtle color variations. Tiger Mountain also offers Trinity, a reflective countertop surface that is made from 75 percent recycled glass for a shiny, polished look.
Builder Barry Katz of Barry Katz Homebuilding in Westport, Conn., uses IceStone’s surfaces, which feature larger chunks of recycled glass. “I think it’s very attractive,” he says. “It’s not a very traditional-looking countertop, and they have a lot of different colors and patterns.” Countertops by EnviroGlas and Vetrazzo offer similar looks.
Other recycled surfaces are even more modern. Composed of post-industrial scrap aluminum and resins, Alkemi countertops by Renewed Materials come in a honed finish or a textured finish that showcases individual metallic shards. “They are very design driven and contemporary,” says owner Demir Hamami. For a more toned-down metallic look, Eleek countertops also feature recycled aluminum.
In laundry rooms, recycled plastic countertops are a good fit. 3form’s 100 Percent countertop line is made entirely of recycled high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, and features a white or black background with flecks of color.
Also made of recycled HDPE, Yemm & Hart’s Origins countertops can sport solid colors or a blend of hues, in standard or custom patterns and colors.
