Sustainable Series: Cost-Effective Green Gifts For Fall

This reusable FEED bag is available at Target. Proceeds from each bag help to serve 8 meals to those in need.

As we’re heading into the season of giving – between Halloween handouts and Holiday gifts, we wanted to share some great “green” gift ideas. Here are some of our favorites to help spark some ideas on how to share sustainability!

• Pencils: A fun & practical gift to give out – made from recycled plastic, recycled denim or even recycled money
• Tattoos: What kid doesn’t love a fun temporary tattoo? Spread the idea of sustainability with recycle-themed ones
• Coloring books: Earth-friendly themes are just the tip of the iceberg – many local stores now carry coloring books made from recycled paper
• Shoe laces: One of the biggest trends of the year – colorful shoelaces! Recycled shoelaces are all the rage and are now easy to find online
• Soy crayons: A great compliment to the sustainable coloring books!
• Organic cotton, canvas or burlap tote bags: Versatile and customizable – tote bags are a great gift, and can even be used for trick or treating this fall! We like bags like the one featured above that helps support charitable causes.
• Soy candles: For the older gift recipient – a great use of sustainable soy

Sustainable Series: Reclamation Practices

At Consolidated Carpet, we’re extremely proud of our long-standing commitment to sustainability and reclamation. We aim to reduce our impact on the environment through initiatives in various areas of our organization, from the office and the warehouse to our jobsites. One of our longest standing sustainable programs is our Con-Serve Reclamation Program, that reclaims and recycles carpet.

Our Con-Serve Reclamation Program is one of the leading and most recognized carpet reclamation initiatives in the country. We have been collecting used carpet for reclamation studies since the late 1980s and are proud to be considered a national leader in our industry. In each of the past three years, we have salvaged over one million pounds of carpet, diverting it from local dumps and landfills.

We have established exceptional relationships with vendors and manufacturers to ensure that both unused and post-consumer carpet products are recycled. Locally, we have partnered with CarpetCycle – a leader in the recycling of commercial carpet tile, broadloom, and padding.

Whether it is unused carpet, carpet padding, or backings and fibers – we ensure that our organization is taking the steps necessary to continue success in reclamation and recycling!

Fall Into Flooring: Our Favorite Wood Installs

Happy first week of Autumn! As we head into the cooler weather, we are reflecting on the wood flooring products and installs like we’re enjoying. Whether it’s in a cozy home or the base of a cool corporate install – here are our current favorites.

Herringbone Patterns

Herringbone is having a big “moment” in design recently. We really like the look of herringbone designs – it adds depth to a space, and takes the wood to the next level. Since installing wood in this pattern throughout the suites at the Barclays Center last year, we’ve been hooked. Check out some of our favorite looks of herringbone designs below.

Herringbone floors via Habitually Chic

Our installation in the suites at the Barclays Center

“Reclaimed” Wood

There’s something both funky and sophisticated about the look of reclaimed wood flooring. The rustic look can go perfectly in a country styled home or even creative commercial spaces such as tech start-ups. Another benefit of reclaimed wood? Reusing wood is eco-friendly and very stylish. Below are some of our favorite reclaimed wood looks.

Vintage oak barrel flooring via Pinterest

Microsoft’s Vienna Office

Armstrong’s American Originals Maple in Grand Canyon

What’s your favorite wood look this fall? Tell us in the comments!

* Photos via Pinterest

Sustainable Series: Smart Landscaping

As we all look to continually improve our “carbon footprint” – there are changes that we can make to ensure we are being green AND energy efficient. Smart landscaping can go a long way toward increasing the comfort of your home. Just a few simple considerations when landscaping around your home and property can make a big difference in the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. Planting trees, greenery and shrubbery are also great for the environment!

Here are some easy tips that you can implement when landscaping:

Plant & Tree Positioning

• Proper positioning of your trees can reduce the energy consumption of your home by up to 25%! The U.S. Department of Energy has released predictions that the correct placement of just 3 trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.*
• Something as simple as shading your air conditioner can also help to increase its efficiency by as much as 10%.*
• Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer.

Shading

• When planting trees and other plants, think about the exposure of your windows. For example, the windows that face due west should be given priority. Selection of trees is also key – large or shady trees are best, and can be placed within twenty feet of windows.
• An interesting tip to take note of: “Contrary to intuition, the least energy efficient place for a tree is to the south of a house. In summer when the sun is high at midday, the shadow of a tree falls directly under the tree and entirely misses a home to its north. In winter, however, the shadow of the same tree will fall on the house throughout most of the day. To avoid shading south windows, any trees south of the home should be located at least twice their mature height away from the house.”*
• As previously mentioned – shading air conditioner units are a great way to keep them more efficient. These appliances run more efficiently when they are in cooler environments. Paved areas like driveways and patios absorb and radiate heat far faster than planted areas. Plant trees near paved areas around the house or grow vines on a trellis over or near patios to create cooler areas around your house.

* First Energy

Sustainable Series: Eco-Friendly Office Supplies

At Consolidated, we are proud that 21% of our office supplies are eco-friendly, compared to the 8% average of other companies. This is just another way we strive to be sustainable!

* “Sustainable Series” is a blog series created by Consolidated Carpet to share tips and perspectives about green options & best practices.