Materials

MATERIALS  

Solid Surface Materials

• Use a recycled content composite as an alternative to natural stone and synthetic hard/solid surface materials.

Building Materials

• Use recycled glass where possible.
• Concrete is a highly durable material which has both eco-friendly and non eco-friendly qualities.
• Use clay plaster as an alternative to gypsum plaster. Clay plaster has lower levels of embodied energy and excellent eco properties.
• Lime plaster is a natural more eco-friendly alternative to gypsum plaster for your interior walls.

Timber

• Use locally produced timer (reducing energy resources used during transportation and distribution).
  Avoid: Imported timber, exotic timber, tropical timber, hardwood timber and softwood timber from non-sustainable managed forests.

Timber Substitute

• Formaldehyde free and certified sustainable fibreboard (e.g. MDF) is an alternative for use in your home benefiting your health and reducing destruction of natural forests. It is not the first eco choice but it is in the right direction to a healthier home.
• The eco alternative to timber particleboard is wheat or straw board.
• Bamboo is rapidly becoming the eco alternative material to replace traditional non sustainable timber products.

Paints

• The walls and ceiling are the largest surface areas in your home. Traditionally indoor wall finishes, paints and stains are classed as household hazardous waste (HHW) and are one of the main contributors to indoor pollution.
• It is safer to use water based paints as they contain lower levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), however a reduction in VOC's often sees high levels of alternative chemical components. VOCs and chemical components are added to finishes, paints and stains to make them more durable, quick drying, easy to adhere to surfaces and easy to apply. These toxic substances combined reduce the quality of the air, causing air pollution and subsequently are hazardous to your health.

Strippers and Cleaners

• Typical paint strippers and cleaning agents contain chemicals, they are solvent based and they are hazardous to your health.

Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid

The following list of chemical compounds are found in a variety of surface finishes from paints, stains, adhesives, strippers to cleaning agents:

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