Since our ecosystems are interconnected, less mining of our natural resources leads to less stress on the environment. And, finally, the more we reuse our resources, the less waste we landfill or incinerate. According to the National Recycling Coalition, each year every American generates 1,500 pounds of discarded materials, for a total of more than 400 billion pounds. Even if only half this amount was retrieved and reused, think of the impact on our entire ecosystem that could be reduced. That's more than 200 billion pounds of potential feedstock for new products.
T here are many useful sources available to designers who want to specify recycled content products.
Within these directories are a treasure trove of products ranging from ceiling tiles and window treatments and carpeting, to wall coverings, paints and furniture. These aren't tentative, untested products from the 1980s when the first production of recycled content products began in earnest. Rather, this is an entirely new generation of sophisticated products that have been created, developed, tested and now are manufactured to meet the same standards of performance, price and quality that are delivered on traditional lines made with virgin material. Some of the biggest names in our business have tackled this category. While it is gratifying to see high-profile projects like Disney restaurants, The Gap, HBO, Duracell, the Austin Children's Musuem and Four Times Square utilizing recycled content products, they are only a beginning.