Reclaimed lumber is used wood that has been taken for re-use, often from long-standing idle buildings, and is sometimes refinished for new purposes. Most reclaimed lumber comes from timbers and decking rescued from old barns, factories and warehouses and some companies have been known to source wood from less traditional structures such as boxcars, coal mines, and wine barrels.
Recycling is the reprocessing of old materials into new products, with the aims of preventing the waste of potentially useful materials, reducing the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy usage, reducing air (from incineration) and water (from landfilling) pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.
Post-consumer means any material that has been used by a consumer and then recycled for use in a new product. It is not the same as post-industrial waste, which is the reintroduction of manufacturing scraps into the manufacturing process.
Composting is a process in which solid organic materials are decomposed in the presence of oxygen through the action of bacteria and other microorganisms. This process is done by mixing together leaves, grass clippings, table scraps, and soil, and allowing the mixture to decompose into mulch, which is high in nutrients, and useful to fertilize gardens and flower beds.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and therefore highly sustainable. It is an incredibly versatile plant used for many everyday applications from flooring and wall paneling to paper and fabrics. Some of the processes through which Bamboo is turned from its raw form into usable products can have a negative environmental impact.
A rechargeable battery, also known as a storage battery, is a battery that can be restored to full charge by the application of electrical energy. Rechargeable batteries eliminate the need for endless batteries and keep dead conventional batteries out of land fills.
Products described as solar-powered use the sun as an energy source, converting sunlight into electricity.
Formaldehyde is known to have a number of negative health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer in humans. However, it still turns up in baby bath soap, nail polish, eyelash adhesive and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product.