Cradle to Cradle Countertops

A few years ago it would have raised eyebrows if a homeowner sought to include sustainable countertops in a kitchen makeover. Most people wouldn’t have even known what they were. Fortunately, times have changed and it’s now easy to find earth-friendly products for your home.

Originally, earth-friendly countertops were limited to just two sorts: wood or concrete. Concrete is rarely seen these days. It has to be sealed and waxed because it is porous. Even then, there is always a risk of staining or cracking.

Wood remains a viable countertop option. A number of species have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Tom Owen, owner of Creative Kitchen and Bath in Lynnwood, often recommends wood surfaces by Qwinique to customers seeking fine wood countertops.

But for a sleeker look with more modern consumer appeal, Owen strongly recommends a different product that is far more earth-friendly. “Richlite is manufactured out of recycled paper and epoxy,” Owen said.

Richlite features a solid matte surface that is durable, stain resistant and heat resistant. It comes in a number of colors to match any decor, and is manufactured

locally — which means it saves on carbon emissions for delivery.

Ralph Hunt, design and sales associate at Seattle Cabinet and Millwork in Monroe, is also a big Richlite fan. “People who know about it will seek it out,” he said.

Hunt is also a fan of Paperstone and a newer product called EcoTop, which was named one of Sustainable Industries’ Top Ten Green Building Products for 2008. EcoTop is also made of paper and post consumer content, but is thinner and very versatile.

While these sustainable products are all high quality and long lasting, many homeowners are also seeking products that have an intrinsic beauty. Tiffany Aweeka of Ambiente European Tile Design in Lynnwood understands exactly what these homeowners are looking for.

“We have two products in particular,” Aweeka said. “Vegas Rock and IceStone are both Cradle to Cradle certified.”

Cradle to Cradle certified products have to meet criteria to prove they have been manufactured in a sustainable manner, eco-efficiently and with limited waste and impact. It also takes note of the health impact of the product.

IceStone countertops are durable terrazzo-like composites made from recycled glass in a cement matrix. They are manufactured in the U.S. and contain no resins or plastics. They are available in a variety of shades.

Vegas Rock is ideal for the homeowner who would like stone countertops but doesn’t like the environmental impact of mining. It is a natural stone slab product that is mined 100 percent waste-free in Nevada. All byproducts are used.

“What we find so exciting about Vegas Rock is that it is the first and only natural stone to be Cradle to Cradle certified,” Aweeka said.

Even if you go with granite countertops, there is a greener granite product called Trend Stone available from Granite Transformations in Mukilteo. “I’m not aware of anything more exciting than what we’ve got,” said co-owner Deb Varner. Trend Stone’s unique feature is that it is thin. It’s a quarter-inch overlay made of fine granite, stone or quartz. Instead of ripping out existing countertops and sending them to a landfill, Trend Stone is installed right over them.

“And we use a third to a fifth of the material that a traditional granite countertop will use,” Varner said. “Because we do it over your existing countertops, we’re able to be in and out of your kitchen in one day.”

Trend Stone is not limited to countertop use. Originally designed as flooring, it can also be used for fireplace surrounds, shower walls, bath or sink surrounds and more. The versatility offers many decorative options.

Another product Varner is proud of is Trend Glass. Created with the same process as Trend Stone, Trend Glass is a fused blend of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled glass. Like Trend Stone, it goes over existing countertops and can be completed in a day.

For the greenest and most interesting of countertop materials, the prize has to go to the handcrafted BlazeStone glass tiles from Bedrock Industries of Seattle. Bedrock has taken recycling about as far as it can go.

“We are glass recyclers,” said general manager Chris Munford. “People bring in bottles with the labels removed and rinsed out. We’re actually paying them by the pound for it.”

Other scrap glass is collected from local factories. All is separated by color as the artisans don’t use any chemical pigments. Then the glass is crushed and processed onsite, ready to be made into handcrafted tiles. The tiles can be purchased there, or shipped in 100 percent recycled materials.

“Our goal is to be a really low-impact company making a really beautiful product,” Munford said.

You can get more information on any of these sustainable, earth-friendly products by contacting the companies. All have Web sites with examples of the products in use, and several offer showrooms for even more ideas.