Pretty Little Green Things

And A Few Tips on Making Any Construction Project a Bit Greener

Today started off in a very green way – commuter train to work.  Okay, okay, you got me, I normally take public transportation (subway) or walk to work anyway, so this didn’t actually change my carbon footprint of the day.  But what did change my carbon footprint was the big load of material in my apartment being thrown away – the contractors ripped out our old baseboards, doors, door frames and kitchen counter.

As I’ve said before, by it’s very nature, construction can be a very un-green process.  You’re throwing things away and replacing them with something new.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  I put together a list of a few things you can do to make your own construction projects a little bit greener, even if you’re not necessarily using eco-friendly products.

1.  Reuse and refinish everything you possibly can.  We decided to keep our current kitchen cabinets.  Do I love them?  No.  Are they still functional?  Absolutely!  So I’m going to sand, prime and paint them white to give them a brand new life.  Plus it’s a much less expensive option than throwing the old ones out and buying new.

2.  Find responsible ways of disposing of your old appliances.  We’re replacing our dishwasher.  It’s old, gross & doesn’t actually get our dishes very clean (not really a dish washer I suppose).  Plus the appliances of today are so much more energy efficient that it’s definitely worth thinking about replacing.  But what to do with the old dishwasher?  Don’t throw it away!  There are recycling centers throughout the US and I know New York has a ton.  Plus oftentimes, the retailer where you bought your new appliance will have a recycling program to cart your old one away.

3.  Recycle don’t throw away unusable construction materials.  With a little research, you can find a place to recycle just about everything.  Here’s a great site where you can actually create a listing for what you want to recycle.  Wood can be turned into particleboard, metals can be melted and used again and even drywall can by recycled into new drywall.

4.  Use low-VOC paints.  Okay, so you may actually consider this an eco-friendly product.  However with the array of paints available now, finding a low-VOC version isn’t any harder or more expensive than regular paint.  Home Depot, Lowes, Benjamin Moore…I could go on, but you get the point.  We’ll be using Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint for just about every surface.

I promise I’ll start showing you pictures of the construction progress soon.  Today was spent ripping the old door frames and baseboards off the wall.  Needless to say, not a very pretty sight.  When things get a bit more exciting, I’ll make sure to show you!

And A Few Tips on Making Any Construction Project a Bit Greener

Today started off in a very green way – commuter train to work.  Okay, okay, you got me, I normally take public transportation (subway) or walk to work anyway, so this didn’t actually change my carbon footprint of the day.  But what did change my carbon footprint was the big load of material in my apartment being thrown away – the contractors ripped out our old baseboards, doors, door frames and kitchen counter.

As I’ve said before, by it’s very nature, construction can be a very un-green process.  You’re throwing things away and replacing them with something new.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  I put together a list of a few things you can do to make your own construction projects a little bit greener, even if you’re not necessarily using eco-friendly products.

1.  Reuse and refinish everything you possibly can.  We decided to keep our current kitchen cabinets.  Do I love them?  No.  Are they still functional?  Absolutely!  So I’m going to sand, prime and paint them white to give them a brand new life.  Plus it’s a much less expensive option than throwing the old ones out and buying new.

2.  Find responsible ways of disposing of your old appliances.  We’re replacing our dishwasher.  It’s old, gross & doesn’t actually get our dishes very clean (not really a dish washer I suppose).  Plus the appliances of today are so much more energy efficient that it’s definitely worth thinking about replacing.  But what to do with the old dishwasher?  Don’t throw it away!  There are recycling centers throughout the US and I know New York has a ton.  Plus oftentimes, the retailer where you bought your new appliance will have a recycling program to cart your old one away.

3.  Recycle don’t throw away unusable construction materials.  With a little research, you can find a place to recycle just about everything.  Here’s a great site where you can actually create a listing for what you want to recycle.  Wood can be turned into particleboard, metals can be melted and used again and even drywall can by recycled into new drywall.

4.  Use low-VOC paints.  Okay, so you may actually consider this an eco-friendly product.  However with the array of paints available now, finding a low-VOC version isn’t any harder or more expensive than regular paint.  Home Depot, Lowes, Benjamin Moore…I could go on, but you get the point.  We’ll be using Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint for just about every surface.

I promise I’ll start showing you pictures of the construction progress soon.  Today was spent ripping the old door frames and baseboards off the wall.  Needless to say, not a very pretty sight.  When things get a bit more exciting, I’ll make sure to show you!