My organization has been part of the green initiative for many years, but we’d like to take it a step further than our paper goods and recycling in 2014. Are there any eco-friendly door hardware and other building materials that are suitable for commercial use and budget friendly?
For a long time, green construction was confined to residential building, and was usually shrugged off as too expensive for the average Joe to tackle. Environmental impact of ‘big business’ is insurmountable, ranging from resource depletion to water pollution to solid waste. Yet, the concern [for most] when considering their green initiative, has remained on ROI versus environmental impact, but in the last few years consumers have begun to hold us more accountable for our carbon footprint and our overall impact on Mother Earth.
As a result, we have been forced to innovate and grow in ways we haven’t in decades, and finally – there have been quite a few ground-breaking products surface in our industry. The options range in price, and as a long-time hardware enthusiast, these new products are exciting! Here is a handful of my favorite; they’ve been the most popular since their launch:
Paperstone Restroom Partitions
Paperstone is turning the standard on its side by using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Their primary product is countertops; however they’ve made a recent transition to the vertical partition and have taken off within it.
Xlerator Hand Dryers
Xlerator dryers consume about 1/3 of the energy used by conventional dryers by drying hands in 1/3 of the time (about 12-15 seconds).
Eco-Friendly Door Hardware – Rocky Mountain Hardware
Rocky Mountain Hardware handcrafts an extensive line of solid bronze door hardware that contains a minimum of 72% recycled content (50% post-consumer). Products range from kick plates to levers and count towards LEED points.
Eco-Friendly Door Hardware – Eleek, Inc.
Based out of Portland, Oregon Eleek makes two styles of one-of-a-kind door handles, comprised of 100% locally-sourced, post-consumer recycled aluminum.
What do you think? Is “going green” on your radar in the next year? The next five years? If you come across any more mind-blowing products that are making strides in the realm of eco-friendliness, please share!