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Green and Clean: Ecofriendly Bathroom Sinks
Sinks crafted from recycled rubber, glass and more make for showstopping bathroom features and are more affordable than ever
I co-own departure: architecture planning interiors in Portland, Oregon, where I design both new residences and remodels. With a focus on forward-thinking sustainable designs, my preferred palette includes natural materials, simplicity, and playful contrasts.
I co-own departure: architecture planning interiors in Portland, Oregon,... More »
If bath sinks haven't made your heart pound, stay with me, friends, because the humble bath lav doesn't need to be so ho-hum. Plus, some of the sexiest sinks are green to boot. In fact, these salvaged and recycled-content lavs might leave you gazing downward instead of in the mirror.
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| Recycled rubber sinks. Hubba hubba! Minarc's sleek and sustainable RUBBiSH recycled rubber sink begins with old rubber tires that are melted and purified, then formed into a sheet that's stretched over a base frame and anchored to the drain collar to form the sink. My tires should be so lucky someday. |
| Salvaged sinks. Using salvaged materials provides an opportunity to get creative. Nearly anything bowl-like can be a sink, as long as a hole can be drilled in it and a drain can be connected. This salvaged cast-metal basin makes a stunning and character-rich counterpart to the mod orange walls. |
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| Recycled copper sinks. Timeless and durable copper is a natural in the bathroom, with its inherent antibacterial and antifungal properties. And it can be an ecofriendly choice too when you use a recycled copper sink, like those from family-owned Premier Copper Products, whose sinks are comprised of 99.9 percent recycled copper. The rich character of the sinks comes courtesy of hand hammering by artisans and preaging the copper over an open fire to develop its deep patina. |
by Eleek Inc.
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Recycled bronze sinks. Amp up your bath's sophistication with inimitable bronze. Eleek, a certified B Corporation whose cast bronze sinks are made of 90 percent recycled content, recommends leaving the bright metal raw and uncoated, adding that " ... a living patina is a reflection of the life of the object. Use it. Love it. Let it tell its story." You can slow down the patina process or preserve the patina with the occasional application of wax, or remove it with a safe abrasive like Bon Ami or a scrubby sponge.
by Tracy Stone AIA
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Recycled aluminum sinks. Need further incentive to toss that soda or beer can into the recycling bin? The end product of your recycling can be a sleek, modern recycled aluminum sink like this one. Postconsumer and industrial scraps often comprise nearly all the aluminum used in these sinks.
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Recycled glass sinks. A luminous jewel for your bathroom, a recycled-glass sink looks terrific in a simple design that showcases the artisan gem. Alchemy Glass, one of many recycled-glass-sink manufacturers, has several sinks that feature recycled glass, including its Cosmic Burst, with shards of recycled glass fused into the basin.
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Cement-based sinks. Cast-in-place concrete sinks, each poured for a unique installation, provide ultimate flexibility to design the perfect sink for you and your bathroom. Green your concrete with recycled aggregates like glass, porcelain or coal fly ash (though skip the fly ash if coal isn't produced in your region, as the transportation energy negates any green cred).
Alternatively, Lithistone's ceramic cement uses approximately 20 to 40 percent less energy than Portland Cement, thereby reducing the sinks' carbon footprint. The remainder of Lithistone's matrix is natural mineral binder, different grades of sand and stone, recycled material and organic mineral pigments.
Alternatively, Lithistone's ceramic cement uses approximately 20 to 40 percent less energy than Portland Cement, thereby reducing the sinks' carbon footprint. The remainder of Lithistone's matrix is natural mineral binder, different grades of sand and stone, recycled material and organic mineral pigments.
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Wood sinks. Your lav can be an unexpected place for connecting with nature by incorporating natural materials, like wood. Just make sure that connection is ecofriendly by seeking wood that is either salvaged or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which ensures, in part, that wood products come from responsibly harvested forests. And be sure to seal it with an no- or low-VOC (nontoxic) sealer.
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Salvaged porcelain sinks. Conventional porcelain sinks aren't bad — they're certainly durable, lasting a hundred years or more. And porcelain is largely made of natural materials applied to either a cast iron or stainless steel base.
But we can conserve those natural resources and keep old lavs out of the landfill by seeking a salvaged porcelain sink; they're plentiful at architectural salvage shops. If the surface is a little grubby or matte, contact a local refinisher and request a low-VOC finish.
More:
Guides to greener building and decorating
But we can conserve those natural resources and keep old lavs out of the landfill by seeking a salvaged porcelain sink; they're plentiful at architectural salvage shops. If the surface is a little grubby or matte, contact a local refinisher and request a low-VOC finish.
More:
Guides to greener building and decorating
Ideabook updated on July 9, 2012.
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@jpbarlow71: When I clicked on the photo, I saw the same question had been asked. Someone (though not the original designer) replied: "Valspar's Orange Maple is a similar color."
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