Aqua's interiors feature sustainable bamboo flooring. Photo courtesy of Aqua.

While we see many homes being built that incorporate sustainable practices, it’s not often that you can find them in the heart of a city. We imagine that it is even more challenging to build green high rises, which are the majority of the buildings in many city cores. So, when we came across Aqua, a LEED-qualified 81-story mixed-use condo complex in Chicago, we were very impressed and wanted to know more.

Located in downtown Chicago off of Lakeshore Drive and within a quarter-mile from several public transportation options, Aqua’s condo units begin on the 53rd floor of the building (floors one to 52 include parkhomes, the Aqua Shore Club, gardens, a Radisson Hotel and rental units) and range from studios to three-bedroom residences.

Boasting sweeping views courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows, Aqua is a new addition to the Chicago skyline. The high rise is part of the 28-acre award-winning Lakeshore East community, built and managed by Magellan Development, and is located where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan adjacent to Millennium Park and the Loop Business District.

We’ll start with the sustainable outdoor features, since one of Aqua’s primary goals is to provide residents with access to the outdoors. At its base is an 80,000-square-foot outdoor garden with a deck that is landscaped to not only have a stunning visual effect, but also to help retain the storm water on site.

All of the plants that are used for landscaping are native to the area, which helps them survive easier and conserve less resources. Also included in this landscaping is a very impressive green roof that, in addition to improving air quality, has major heating and cooling benefits.

Aqua’s website provides curious readers with all of the green details: “Besides reducing the building’s summer temperature and cooling requirements, the green roof also significantly reduces winter heat loss,” it states. “The heating/cooling benefits extend beyond Aqua by helping reduce the urban heat-island effect created by the high number of hard and reflective surfaces of most city buildings that re-radiate heat in the atmosphere.”

The expansive windows mentioned above are E-tinted glass, which aid in maintaining temperature control in each of the condos, while wave-like balconies extend away from the building to soak in the views.

Aqua (right foreground) is part of Chicago's burgeoning Lakeshore East area. Photo courtesy of Aqua.

Each residence includes bamboo floors, which are extremely durable while also being renewable and recyclable. According to the website, “Aqua’s wood flooring material is produced with 1/5th the amount of hardwood required for equivalent solids. Put another way, it produces five times more flooring with the same amount of virgin wood as solid wood flooring.”

Other green features include faucets and showerheads that reduce water consumption, and Hanstone quartz that is “Greenguard-certified,” meaning it is a low-emitting, nonporous material that inhibits mold, mildew and bacteria growth.

Residents of Aqua are encouraged to participate in a number of Magellan’s eco-friendly initiatives. For example, Magellan organizes clothing and furniture drives for residents, promoting gently used items to be donated and repositioned. Recycling is also offered to residents, while walking and biking are encouraged to cut down on carbon emissions.

Another impressive initiative is that Aqua is the Midwest’s first electric-vehicle charging station that is open to the public. Aqua’s public garage accommodates up to 24 plug-in vehicles and also offers discounts to those with a hybrid vehicle that use the garage daily.

Aqua also notes that “by placing its parking entirely underground, a non-roof Heat Island Effect, Aqua completely eliminates hard surface pavements that contribute to thermal gradient differences between developed and undeveloped land.”

There are Aqua condominiums that are currently available for sale. Studios with one bath begin at $280,000 while a 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath condo is priced at just below $1.9 million.

We really like the fact that Aqua is an impressive sustainable building in the heart of Chicago because of the materials and the planning process used. And last, but certainly not least, Magellan Development diverted 84% of construction waste from landfills simply by recycling it. Now that’s an initiative that every other development company should stand behind as well.

Aqua's pristine kitchen space. Photo courtesy of Aqua.

When in Chicago’s Lakeshore East neighborhood, visit Aqua at 225 N. Columbus Dr.

Recycled materials are highlighted in an upscale sustainable kitchen at Jade 8. Photo courtesy of Jade 8.

If you are considering a move to Brooklyn, NY, and you care about sustainability, take a look at Jade 8 condominiums. Recently opened, Jade 8 features eight green condominiums custom-tailored for an environmentally aware buyer with a lot of green in the wallet. The introductory prices run from $685,000 for a 905-square-foot two-bedroom/two-bathroom unit, to $1.15 million for a 1,475-square-foot three-bedroom.

Each unit provides the following green elements:

Included in the healthier and more efficient lifestyle awaiting homeowners at Jade 8 are fresh air filtration systems via heat recovery ventilation (HRV), low-VOC paint, LED lighting, energy-efficient Loewen windows and recycled materials such as sound insulation and Caesarstone countertops.

A view of Jade 8's front façade from the street. Photo courtesy of Jade 8.

The kitchens have oak and lacquer cabinets and those gorgeous Caesarstone counters. The quartz used to make these counters is a mineral byproduct of mining operations, so instead of being dumped into a landfill, the material is used to create ecologically friendly countertops. The wall and floor insulation is also made from recycled materials. The kitchens are stocked with energy-saving appliances and low-flow faucets, and are equipped with magnetic-induction cooktops and convection ovens, resulting in a cooler, more energy-efficient cooking environment.

All units include private outdoor space, from deep back yards, to large balconies and sprawling roof decks. There is a common “green” roof that provides residents additional shared outdoor space. It is also utilized to promote drainage when it rains and help keep things cool in the summer months. Each residence also has high-efficiency heat pumps and A/C units.

One of the most important aspects of a sustainable home or condo is that it provides clean and healthy air by using an energy-saving heating and cooling system. HRV systems consist of an air exchanger that utilizes both clean and stale air to create warm (or cool) air depending on the desired temperature.

According to Popular Mechanics, “HRVs can recover up to 85 percent of the heat in the outgoing airstream, making these ventilators a lot easier on your budget than opening a few windows. And, an HRV contains filters that keep particulates such as pollen or dust from entering the house.”

Jade 8’s site states that the key to living in a healthy environment is “breathing healthy air, and living in a sustainable structure. The Jade 8 condo complex uses an HRV fresh air filtration system to accomplish this goal.”

A bathroom in Jade 8. Photo courtesy of Jade 8.

The official launch of the building was in January 2012 and, at press time, three of the eight condos have been sold. Units still available include one one-bedroom unit (listed at $775,000) and four two-bedroom units (ranging from $685,000 to $695,000). When in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood, stop by Jade 8 at 186 8th St.

A view of the 937 Condominiums from Portland's Pearl District. Photo courtesy of 937 Condominiums.

In the building industry, the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is the most widely recognized standard for green building design. Patrick Kessi, a principle at Oregon-based W&K Development, knew he wanted to meet LEED standards from the beginning of his work on 937 Condominiums, a 16-story residential tower in Portland’s trendy Pearl District.

“We always try to be the best in every aspect of development,” Kessi says. That commitment extends to sustainability.

What happened more spontaneously was the level of LEED certification 937 Condominiums achieved. When the building opened in 2008, it was only the third high-rise condo complex in the country to receive LEED certification at the Platinum level, the program’s highest rating.

Kessi says that by the time they’d incorporated the myriad green features called for in the building’s design, they were so close to reaching LEED Platinum standards that they went the extra mile to meet that target. The designation is likely to win big points with eco-conscious Portland consumers looking for new digs.

A master bedroom in a penthouse unit at 937 Condominiums. Photo courtesy of 937 Condominiums.

Some of the building’s major green features include:

• An eco-roof graces the top level, which gets plenty of action in the rainy Pacific Northwest. The green roof retains, filters, cleans and cools rainwater before releasing it into the nearby Willamette River. “It’s important to cool the water from the roof because it’s been warmed, which warms up the rivers and affects salmon runs,” Kessi says.
• Efficient light fixtures, low-volume-flush toilets and other features help the building utilize 40% less energy and 30% less water than many comparable buildings. These highly efficient systems not only protect the environment, but they also help keep tenants’ ongoing expenses low.
• Heat pumps continually pull fresh air into the units, and low-VOC materials help ensure good indoor air quality.
• Every unit has LEED-compliant appliances, including refrigerators that use non-ozone-depleting gases.
• 93% percent of the waste generated during construction was recycled.
• Recycling bins come standard in all units to make it easier for residents to recycle. Space is at a premium in condos, as Kessi points out. “If you don’t provide for recycling, some people might not do it,” he says. So, they had the builders install built-in bins in the kitchen cabinets. This prevents residents from having to cram recycling containers under the sink with the trash, and it’s more “esthetically pleasing” than having a bin sitting out. Once recyclables such as glass, paper and cans have been collected, residents can carry them down to the main level and empty them into larger recycling collection containers that are picked up regularly.

Living space in a 937 Condominiums suite. Photo courtesy of 937 Condominiums.

Kessi admits that it was tough to justify some of these added costs to his investors.

“The hardest thing was knowing we would need to spend more money,” Kessi explains. But, in the end, the investment has paid off — at press time, all but three new homes have already sold.

Only three units remain on the market at 937 Condominiums. The two-bedroom units that are still available range from $500,000 to $700,000. (Prices and availability at time of publishing.) When in Portland’s Pearl District, stop by 937 Condominiums at 937 NW Glisan St.

The Solidago condominium in Washington, DC's Petworth neighborhood. Photo courtesy of petworthgreenbuilding.com.

We are all painfully aware that the bottom dropped out of the housing market a few years ago. Home prices tanked; banks reverted to draconian lending policies; owners couldn’t pay their mortgage. Voila! — the Great Recession.

It’s surprising then to see an explosion of buildings such as The Solidago condominium, a green-built, three-unit complex in Washington, DC, on the market. The layouts of the three units vary slightly. Unit 1 has an 860-square-foot interior offering two bedrooms and one bathroom. Units 2 and 3 are both 1,060 square feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. What is exceptional is the new, green features offered in each.

The Solidago mixed in seemingly all the eco-friendly elements and practices known to man for this once-rundown set of row houses to become LEED Platinum certified, the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The three primary areas of focus for the renovation and construction of this property were preserving the history of the structure, maximizing efficiency and promoting healthy living of the occupants. All three goals were accomplished by, at least in part, adhering to key recycling practices.

Digging into the history of the complex — located in the Petworth area of DC, known for its endless brick row houses — reveals that two of the three row houses were originally constructed in 1917. Over the years, the property fell into decrepit condition and was eventually boarded up, covered in grime and battered by weather and water damage. But underneath the horrid façade waited a historic timepiece. Now a shining example of environmentally sensitive reconstruction, The Solidago boasts many original, reclaimed pieces complemented with all the comforts of today.

A kitchen in The Solidago. Photo courtesy of petworthgreenbuilding.com.

Many modern elements also help to reduce reliance on resources, thus providing a greener future for us all. Strategies that were used to mitigate energy use included:

• Spray-foam insulation and detailed air sealing
• High-performance windows and doors
• Highly efficient heating and cooling equipment
• Highly efficient water heating
• Energy Star appliances
• Highly efficient lighting features
• Solar power outfitting on each unit

The exterior of the building played a big part in the efficiency efforts as well. These condos seem to have really gone the extra mile through their storm water management. In fact, the units retain 100% of the rainwater that hits the property for reuse. This helps the municipal utilities by removing a certain amount of water from the public system, saving work and energy on collecting and purifying water collected in city drains.

For many homebuilders, the above features would be the end of their attempts to “go green.” But, for those that built The Solidago, that was just the beginning. Low-flow faucets and Energy Star appliances do their part to conserve water usage throughout the home. To boot, an emphasis was put on improving indoor air quality by removing unhealthy elements and replacing them with safer ones — low VOC paints and coatings, smarter design and increased airflow.

Recycling and repurposing materials was at the heart of the renovation process as well. The construction professionals used on this project were able to save roughly 7 tons of material from hitting a nearby landfill by recycling more than 50% of the new construction waste.

Removing, refinishing and reinstalling original pieces add Old World charm not found in new home construction. The Solidago’s interior catches the eye with all-original trim, doors, jambs, door hardware, windows, framing, lighting and fixtures. Some stairs, hardwood flooring and brick detail was also refinished. As well, the vinyl siding on the backside of the building is made from 50% recycled materials.

The question, of course, is if all these green elements contribute to the overall worth of and desire for the structure. Well, if you’re inclined to believe the Los Angeles Times article on the matter, it sure seems likely. For me, it would not at all be surprising to see more and more buildings like The Solidago as more buyers demand homes that concurrently preserve historical value, increase quality of life and help protect nature through conservation.

For the curious readers out there, all three Solidago units quickly sold despite the housing downturn. Unit one sold for $271,500; unit two for $364,000; unit three for $391,400.

In the current Builders of Hope annual report, founder and CEO Nancy Murray explains how much this model of sustainability is needed.

“According to the EPA, 250,000 houses a year are torn down across the country,” she says. “This tear-down epidemic that quickly disposes of existing housing will reap substantial environmental consequences — 30% of our landfills are already comprised of construction debris. With an additional 33 million homes across the nation built prior to 1960, that percentage is destined to grow as municipalities continue to proliferate the “tear-it-down-and-build-it-new” strategy.

“Builders of Hope is beginning to change this paradigm, as our model has proven to be an effective means of re-housing Americans and revitalizing troubled communities,” Murray continues. “Our innovation in green building and sustainability practices has challenged the affordable housing status quo and invited accolades equally from government, foundations and the communities where we work.”

A refurbished Builders of Hope home. Photo by Jennifer Kromhout/courtesy of Builders of Hope.

Murray goes on to mention a recent study by North Carolina State University’s School of Natural Resources that found the Builders of Hope method of home rescue and rehabilitation as compared to conventional new construction (same size and building criteria) defers an average of 19.36 tons of CO₂ per home from entering the environment. This tonnage is equivalent to CO₂ emissions from 1,979 gallons of unleaded gasoline.

In 2008, according to Natural Home & Garden, Builders of Hope saved an estimated 2 million pounds of building material from the landfill. Most of the rescued homes were built between the 1930s and 1960s, and many are loaded with valuable features such as wood flooring, solid-surface countertops, crown molding and coveted built-ins.

BRC Designs' Binary Low Table. Photo courtesy of BRC Designs.

Here at 1-800-RECYCLING.com, we have featured lots of different ways to make recycled and upcycled products part of your home’s fashion statement.

From eco-friendly fireplaces, to low-impact carpet and recycled bathroom fixtures, there are lots of ways to incorporate “new to you” elements that will brighten your home and reduce landfill waste. But, for those looking to add truly unique upcycled flair to their home’s décor, nothing is quite as stunning as the furnishings designed by Benjamin Rollins Caldwell.

Caldwell lives in South Carolina, and taps into the rich history of that region to find unique materials from which to create his pieces.

“If I were forced to work with one material, in one style, using only one process, I would be completely miserable,” states Caldwell on his website. “The variety of projects with which I’m involved energizes me.”

And that variety is quite broad. Rather than purchasing his raw materials from a lumberyard or an art supply store, Caldwell prefers to spend hours digging around in thrift stores, salvage yards and abandoned warehouses. The old, abandoned and broken materials that he finds provide inspiration for his upcycled pieces, which range from adorable to incredibly avant garde.

BRC Designs' Pockets Rug. Photo courtesy of BRC Designs.

“My objective is to use materials in such a way that I completely transform their original purpose into something new and innovative,” writes Caldwell. “I achieve this through repetition, arrangement and stripping materials down to their raw essence. More often than not, the most fascinating aspect of a material lies under its exterior surface. I love tearing things apart to see what interesting parts I can find and wield into something completely unique. Every day I am surprised by what materials I stumble across and what ideas pop in my head.”

Some of the ideas that have previously popped into his head include a rug made completely from the recycled pockets of old blue jeans (above), chairs made from old piano keys and coffee tables made from discarded computer towers and motherboards (top).

Check out brcdesigns.com to see more of Caldwell’s work.

My family moved in about seven months ago, and we have since replaced our back fence by reusing a fence that someone was tearing down, replaced some ugly vinyl in our back entryway with cork flooring, added two compost bins and installed a rain barrel. Now our sights are focused on the driveway.

Easy-to-install PermaTurf panels can create the green driveway of your dreams.

The current driveway is gravel, which didn’t seem like too big of an issue when we moved in, but it has certainly become one. It is impossible to shovel snow off of it, and when it rains it’s a mucky mess. We are on the hunt for a sustainable driveway material that will be both friendly to the environment and not too hard on the wallet.

I found one solution that has me completely mesmerized: a (literally) green driveway. I read an article about how an artist in Toronto used PermaTurf to construct a green driveway. The PermaTurf cells interlock to fill any sized space. They are made with 100% recycled polyethylene and look a little like green honeycombs.

Basically, you fit the PermaTurf cells in place, fill them with dirt and plant grass seed in the dirt. The result is a green space that looks like an extension of your lawn that you can drive on, and it also allows natural drainage. This is especially important in our area because we are very prone to flooding in North Dakota.

If we decide to go with this driveway option, it would be better for the environment because the PermaTurf driveway would allow rain to soak into the soil — reducing the heat island effect — and would support more plant life, which offsets carbon emissions.

The traditional option, concrete, is problematic because paved surfaces play a big role in storm water pollution, where rainwater carries toxic urban pollutants to local streams and rivers, impacting water quality and river habitats.

The cost was also a pleasant surprise. Based on the size of the driveway, the cost of materials would be roughly $1,500 if my family did the project ourselves. Franke James, the artist in Toronto, and her husband installed the driveway themselves in a few days. To have a concrete driveway installed would cost us around $2,500.

I also wondered how this fabulous driveway would work with our snowy winters. I found out the manufacturer of PermaTurf is located in New Hampshire, an area that gets lots of snow, and they say they have many customers who regularly shovel their green driveways with no ill effects.

I’m completely sold. Now I need to convince my husband…

According to the Carpet and Rug Institute, more than two-thirds of American homes have wall-to-wall carpeted floors. However, what many might not know is that almost all carpet is made from petroleum byproducts and synthetics such as polypropylene, nylon and acrylic. Today’s carpets have also been treated with antistatic sprays, artificial dyes, antimicrobial treatments and finishes so that they are engineered to withstand stains and soils.

We will say that the carpet, however, does act like a filter by trapping allergens and may even improve air quality in your home. But, in addition to the chemicals used when manufacturing carpet, the downside is that most people do not clean their carpets correctly or regularly, which can only exacerbate allergies and asthma.

FLOR's easily recyclable Arabesque carpet. The FLOR brand is part of Interface's Mission Zero initiative.

If you are considering adding carpeting to your home in 2012, we recommend looking for area rugs instead. Because it is more permanent, wall-to-wall carpeting is less healthy than smaller rugs because it is in fact harder to clean (vacuuming doesn’t always do the trick) and, not to mention, several pounds of soil can accumulate in and under a carpet each year when not cleaned properly (if you’ve ever pulled up old carpet, you know that this is true).

A great eco-friendly alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting is natural wool because of its warmth and durability. However, it is not appropriate for all rooms in the home (think entryways or the bathroom) because once it’s wet it takes a while to dry. This means that it is more susceptive to mold and mildew, making it not as versatile. Hemp and sisal rugs, on the other hand, are more durable and are perfect for many locations, not to mention they are becoming widely available.

We love these all-natural must-haves for 2012:

• The Parquet Sisal Carpet from Merida is an extremely versatile rug, as are all of the sisal patterns the company offers. The design creates a visual interest and can be used in hallways, bedrooms, dining rooms or family rooms. Merida is reinventing the way that rugs are designed, and we love the innovation and wide array of sustainable options that are available.
• The Chunky Wool & Natural Jute Rug from Pottery Barn is crafted from sustainable jute, which is a fast-growing and renewable fiber. This rug is soft, making it a nice option for bedrooms. Pottery Barn has many other natural options as well, including sisal and sea grass.
• New for 2012, the Arabesque Carpet (above) from Interface’s FLOR line is great for heavy-traffic places in your home. As with all of FLOR’s products, the modular carpeting allows for customization in any size and space. And when one part gets worn, it can be simply replaced using the company’s Return & Recycle Program. Founded by the late Ray Anderson, Interface’s goal is to eliminate its carbon footprint by 2020. Called Mission Zero, Interface’s ambitious sustainability goals are challenging, but the company has already achieved great progress.
• The Rainier Collection is the newest rug line from Earth Weave, and is made from 100% undyed, untreated wool available in several different colors. This rug would be a great addition to a finished basement or playroom. We also like that Earth Weave offers natural and nontoxic padding, in addition to natural rubber for the backing of its rugs.
• The bathroom and shower area can be a challenge due to the amount of moisture, but not so with the Bamboo Rug from Crate & Barrel. Made from 100% bamboo, it dries quickly so bacteria doesn’t have time to grow. Crate & Barrel also has a wide variety of natural fiber rugs available.

Wendy Gordon, NRDC's Smarter Cities

Wendy Gordon, head of the NRDC’s green-living sites, returns to “Green is Good” to discuss the role transportation within the world’s cities plays in conservation. It’s no secret that gas in the U.S. is hovering around $4/gallon, so now is the time to investigate how best to move around while lessening oil demand and saving money.

The NRDC examined urban transportation in a new Smarter Cities study that identifies the 15 small, medium and large cities that are making eco-minded (and wallet-friendly) decisions to move their citizens around effectively. Beyond efficient city transportation infrastructure, Gordon provides a number of personal transportation tips that can make a major environmental difference.

“The smartest thing you can do is minimize your driving and bundle your trips,” Gordon explains. “Plan your trips so you only make right turns — right on red saves gas!”

Jim Motavalli, Author, 'High Voltage'

Jim Motavalli, an eco-author and green transportation expert, states that we are headed for “peak oil” — when oil demand soars above oil supply. His book, High Voltage, released in 2011, examines electric vehicles and how they will change our oil dependency.

Motavalli cites the expanding lineup of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars as a major accomplishment in green engineering. He also lists the hydrogen fuel cell car, expected to be on the market in 2015, as a paramount in eco-technology.

“It may take 30 years for the internal-combustion engine to disappear from the road,” Motavalli says. “It’s not going to be overnight that we transition, plus [the electric engine is] very much in its infancy right now. I think we’ll see a lot of improvement in the gas car, say as far as 80 miles a gallon, so that will remain a competitive technology.”

Podcast: Play In New Window | Download (48.3MB)

Once BP’s Macondo well was finally sealed, oil no longer bubbled up to float on the water’s surface. But cleanup crews were left wondering what to do with the oil-soaked boom that had helped to contain the spill for so long. You certainly can’t dump that in the trash.

Late last year, General Motors decided that it would develop a process for recycling the used boom into new parts for its extended-range electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt.

To develop the recycling technique, GM partnered with several other companies: Heritage Environmental, which collected the used boom; Mobile Fluid Recovery, which eliminates the absorbed oil and water by spinning the booms at high speeds until they are dry; Lucent Polymers, which makes the material appropriate for plastic die-mold production; and GDC Corporation, which combines the plastic resin with other plastic compounds to make the car components.

The end product is a set of parts (25% boom material and 25% recycled tires) used to deflect air around the Volt’s radiator, according to MSNBC.

GM says that the oil boom recycling program will reuse 227 miles of boom material, saving 212,500 pounds of waste from the landfill. This will provide enough material to make the Volt’s air-deflecting baffles for one production year.

But what are we going to do with all these huge batteries when they start wearing down? Think about how hard it is to recycle the rechargeable batteries in your camera or remote control when they finally die — then multiply that by a thousand.

Thankfully, some automotive companies are already starting to think about this problem and have come up with an environmentally friendly solution.

This Chevy Volt battery could one day help to power homes. Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors.

General Motors (maker of the Chevy Volt) and electric company ABB Group have been working together since September 2010 to research the potential reuse of vehicle batteries for stationary power use. In Raleigh, NC, this past summer, the groups shared their progress in moving the concept from laboratory to pilot testing.

“Our tests so far have shown the viability of the GM-ABB solution in the laboratory, and they have provided valuable experience to overcome the technical challenges,” Pablo Rosenfeld, ABB’s Program Manager for Distributed Energy Storage Medium Voltage Power Products, said in late July. “We are making plans now for the next major step — testing a larger prototype on an actual electric distribution system.”

So far, neither company has provided further test results or an estimate of when these battery storage clusters could make it to the commercial market. One reason is that there simply aren’t enough spent EV batteries on the market to use for testing. The Chevy Volt has only been on the market for a year, and EV batteries last between eight and 10 years.

However, the companies are confident that when they have expired, EV batteries could be reclaimed and set up in clusters to provide energy storage space for the electrical grid. These battery clusters could either hold wind or solar energy during periods of low electric demand for use later or provide backup power in case of a grid disruption.

According to Pablo Valencia, GM’s Senior Manager for Battery Life Cycle Management, 33 used Volt batteries could power 50 houses, with enough storage capacity to keep them all running for about four hours.

In fact, experts feel that recycling could become a lucrative side business for both battery and EV manufacturers, which is why General Electric is exploring the development of a battery leasing program for EV owners. GE could reclaim spent batteries and resell them to utility companies.

If you are aware of such nuances, then the good ol’ boys of the Motor City are doing a great job reinventing the car. They’re pushing environmentalism fringed with patriotism.

A stellar example: General Motors is crafting new rides fraught with recycled ideas, literally. This 103-year-old automaker is championing a newfound ideology with the all-new American car. The irony, of course, is that many parts of brand-new models are not new at all.

GM is finding new ways to use old things when making its next line of automobiles. The headline-grabbing Chevrolet Volt has been discussed, debated and marketed for its revolutionary part-electric, part-gasoline engine system. But GM is trying to prove its sustainable efforts go beyond just a power plug.

The GMC Terrain features a number of recycled materials, making it lighter and more fuel efficient. Photo courtesy of GMC.

In fact, GM took leftovers from one of America’s worst environmental disasters, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and surprised the world by utilizing oil-soaked booms as auto parts for the Volt. According to an article from Wired:

About 100 miles of oil-drenched boom material used to contain the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico is being used to make plastic parts for the Chevrolet Volt. General Motors said it is recycling enough material used off the coast of Alabama and Louisiana to produce more than 100,000 pounds of plastic resin.

These booms are estimated to be used on the first year’s supply of 10,000 cars as deflectors that direct air around the radiator. According to Green Diary, the “deflectors constitute 25 percent plastic boom, 25 percent recycled tires, 25 percent packaging plastic and the remaining 25 percent are extracted from polymers and post-consumer recycled plastic.”

Please stop and take a minute to realize how monumental this is. One of America’s most iconic companies, which was all but dead a few years ago, is now fully revived and intensely using recycled material as a new manufacturing strategy — material that was crucial for stopping catastrophic environmental damage, no less!

OK, great, let’s continue.

The Chevy Volt might not be the right car for everyone, in which case GM is further utilizing recycled materials for various other models. The 2010 Buick LaCrosse features components in the headliner made from cardboard. The Chevrolet Equinox of the same year utilizes fibers from the kenaf plant in its headliner.

The GMC Terrain, however, might be the one most popularized for its recycled components, and for good reason. Auto Motto states that the use of recycled materials actually makes the Terrain more energy efficient and cost productive. Recycled materials are lighter, and thus require less fuel to transport. Here is what the article mentions about the Terrain:

Recycled textile insulation and plant fiber-reinforced ceiling liner act as a sound barrier from external noise. The air baffles are made using post-industrial scrap and mixing it with old tires while recycled plastic from bottles is used for the grille frame.

These aren’t your parent’s American-made autos. Today’s carmaker is dancing with conservation and efficiency when designing its new lines.

Gone are the days of “bigger is better,” where gasoline consumption was an afterthought. Today, GM is one car company taking a step in the right direction. The company is taking us down a path that weans consumption of resources and promotes more earth-friendly autos.

After all, you have another 7 billion people on this planet to share with, and companies like GM are starting to realize that.

Want to know more about GM’s sustainability efforts? Michael Robinson, GM’s Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy, appeared on the Green is Good radio program in June 2011. Listen to the show here.