Our Green Streets Blog

Two quotes stand out in the drafting of this report on making biodegradable plastic:

The first comes complements of Mario Vellandi, who presides over Melodies in Marketing. He sent a great story this way, with this slug: “A non-petroleum plastic made from organic waste that completely degrades in six months to a year? What’s not to love? Seriously, you rock Ryan.”

Okay, this sounds like a marvelous idea, especially considering how much petroleum-based plastic we use once, only to turn around and toss it out into landfills.

That led to watching Ryan Smith present as a social innovation fellow at PopTech 2010, pitching the company he helped co-found, Micromidas, where he serves as chief technical officer. The 6:04 video is very much worth watching.

At Micromidas, a team of entrepreneurial engineers and chemists has found microbes, when placed in a reactor that can produce high-quality plastic from organic waste, sans any petroleum additives to the formula. Best news of all, the product degrades in less than a year.

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Denver Recycles has announced an electronic devices recycling collection event called Eco-Rally. It is scheduled for Saturday, February 12.

For those who don’t reside near Denver, contact your recycling organization and inquire about events like this on the how and where of recycling electronics devices.

According to the announcement, “Denver residents may recycle their old electronic devices by scheduling an appointment to attend theEco-rally Electronic Recycling Collection Event.  Electronics recycling services will be offered at a educed price of $5 per vehicle (limit of 2 “screens” per vehicle, see below for more details).”

Denver Recycles writes that its Eco-rally serves as an electronics recycling, education and engagement initiative that addresses the “serious environmental concern of TVs and electronics in landfills.”

The recycling of electronic devices – once overlooked by people and companies – has grown significantly over the last decade. In fact, interest in the recycling of e-waste is growing worldwide due to concerns for protecting soil, water supplies, and people. Huge amounts of electronic toxins from computers, cell phones, and televisions get sent to landfills in the United States and overseas in poorer countries. The items that are tossed are known to leach poisonous chemicals into the soil and underground water supplies.

Here is the Eco-Rally drop-off information for Denver residents:

• LOCATION: Metech, 500 W. 53rd Pl., Denver
• APPOINTMENT TIMES: 8 AM to 4 PM
• FEE: $5 per vehicle, cash or check only.  Limit of 2 “screens” (televisions, monitors and/or laptops) per vehicle. Additional screens will cost an additional fee of $5 per screen.
• ITEMS ACCEPTED: Televisions, monitors, CPUs, laptops, printers, scanners, faxes, keyboards, mice, stereos, external hard drives and storage devices, cellular phones, telephones, DVRs, VCRs, digital cameras, video recorders, MP3 players, and some small appliances such as microwaves.
• ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED: Air conditioners, large appliances, vacuum cleaners, car batteries or household batteries (rechargeable batteries okay).

As for the practice of single-stream recycling, where all recyclables are put in the same container and sorted at a recycling centers like the one serving Denver, it is important to understand that certain items will not work with this practice.

Denver Recycles also posts information on five items that should never be put in a recycling cart or bin:

• NO FOOD OR LIQUIDS – Cans, bottles and other containers should be empty.  Containers don’t need to be spotless to recycle them, but a quick rinse can help to prevent any odor or pest problems from arising in your cart.
• NO TISSUES, NAPKINS OR PAPER TOWELS – These items are made from paper that has very short fibers (this makes them soft). Unfortunately these fibers are too short to recycle.
• NO STYROFOAM OF ANY KIND – Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is like no other plastic.  The available markets for reprocessing these materials are very limited.  There are a few companies that will take a limited supply of bulk packaging Styrofoam.
• NO COAT HANGERS – Neither metal nor plastic coat hangers are accepted in your purple cart.  Check with your local dry cleaner to see if they take back coat hangers for reuse or recycling.
• NO PLASTIC BAGS – Plastic bags are the worst thing you can put in your purple recycling cart. Plastic bags get caught in the equipment used to sort recyclable materials, and too many can cause the entire facility to shut down.  Most grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling, or better yet reduce the amount of plastic bags by using reusable bags.

All recyclers should keep in mind that recycling practices such as these should be adhered to for all recycling locations. It is also important for information like this to be shared with many.

Modular homes or pre-manufactured kits may be appealing because of lower costs and the speed with which the final product can be assembled, but what differences do they have when it comes to measuring green qualities?

On the positive side of the green scale, a few basics stand out: first, because of off-site manufacture of all wall and structural components, very little waste is created, especially when compared to a traditional stick-built home where it is common to fill five to seven 40-yard (8’ x 22’ x 8’) construction dumpsters that haul leftover debris to nearby landfills. Leftovers at the factory are usually recycled, or put to some other use in the finished home.

Second, the majority of prefabricated homes prove to be more energy efficient. Because they have been manufactured in a factory, this involves insulation and HVAC considerations. Manufactured homes commonly have insulation with R-values — the higher the number, the better the insulation — of 21 in the roof, 11 in the side walls and floor.

Most pre-manufactured homes come with Energy Star rated appliances and heating systems.  Energy Star homes are often 20 to 30 percent more efficient than traditional homes. In addition, low “E” window packages help contribute to a tighter building envelope.

Third, indoor environmental air quality is considered before putting together the entire package.

Genesis Homes, this nation’s largest modular homebuilder, believes in strict adherence to a green standard.  “As the Nation’s largest modular builder, we have chosen to adhere to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Standard. This standard provides you with third-party certification that the modular home you are purchasing can deliver on its claims of energy efficiency and resource conservation.”

Are there any negative considerations regarding the green perspective? Maybe only the amount of fuel required to deliver the unit to its final destination. But in a traditional stick-built home, even more petroleum is required for the many materials deliveries for all subcontractors involved – carpenters, roofers, insulation, HVAC, electric, etc.

As the world and its urban areas grow more congested and material supplies wane, modular homes and kits appear to be options that deserve serious exploration.

Whether to build a home from a modular package or from a kit involves both cost, design, and ease of assembly considerations.

Since most of the components for modular homes are built offsite – including interior and exterior finishes, the primary onsite design factors involve foundation, water, sewage and how the structure will be powered. Kits will require a considerable labor investment.

A standard modular home package that is shipped by road can measure anywhere from a 300 square foot cabin to a two-story home. Wardcraft Homes, based in Clay Center, KS, and with other plants in Minden, NE and Fort Morgan, CO, ships a standard pre-manufactured unit or box, measuring 15’ x 60’. Martin Schneider, a project manger, says two such units, when married together at the final destination, will provide a three-bedroom, two-bath, ranch home.

All Wardcraft modular packages are shipped with exterior and interior finishes, including, lighting, plumbing and HVAC. Unlike one predecessor to modular homes — the trailer – there are many attractive design options.

“If you’re comparing stick-built to modular homes, there’s not much difference in cost,” says Schneider. “The savings you’ll find is the efficiency and the quality (factory, computer-controlled manufacturing).”

He adds there is also a lower cost on construction financing, due to the quicker assembly turnaround. Stick-built construction financing is generally planned for 12 to 18 months. Modular home construction normally runs 180 days.

Aside from modular options, there are also pre-manufactured kits. A Tilton, NH-based company, Shelter-Kit, has been shipping ready-to-assemble home and barn packages for over 40 years.

The company sells a number of small size custom post and beam barns, sheds and buildings. Shelter-Kit president, Dave Kimball believes his company provides its customers with substantial benefits over the average pre-built shed sold at many big-box home and garden retailers.  The choices in small buildings are versatile, both aesthetically and functionally.

The company’s first product – the Unit One cabin, a 12’x12’ structure – is still sold and has even been made into a backyard office. Other customers have purchased additional units so the can add on to the original structure. This kit is priced at $10,700.

Today, Shelter-Kit’s customizable barn-style buildings start with a compact 16’x 16’ and are available in larger sizes, up to 36’ wide. They are created individually for each customer with high quality wood materials and hardware (of substantially better quality than what is found in most “standard” sheds). Most kits include roofs but no HVAC, plumbing, or electrical packages.

Shelter-Kit products are designed to be buttoned up quickly and easily – they can be assembled by only two people in 3 -15 days, depending upon the size of the structure.

’The Do-it-Yourself’ nature of our product allows customers significant cost savings, but with the ability to maintain exceptional quality,” says Kimball.  “There are no added expenses of contractors and builders, plus since all of our products are manufactured at our facility, there is significantly less waste.”

Next, we will report on green considerations about modular’s and kits.

For anyone that has ever worked with a Lego set, it is easy to understand the appeal of modular thinking. Consistency and interchangeability immediately come to mind.

According to Jetson Green, the business today of off-site fabricated homes – shipped as modules, kits or panels – is robust.  Preston, Jetson Green chief editor, writes that prefabrication offers “several potential benefits that the housing industry cannot ignore: accelerated construction, controlled construction, construction without the elements, and minimal waste.”

Many of these modular homes are now being marketed under a green heading. For instance, last year, Nationwide Homes launched the eco-cottage (see photo on next page). Ranging in size from 300 to almost 600 square feet, the eco-cottage might be used for “a separate sleeping quarters or hobby space for your arts & crafts or even an office space,” writes Nationwide.

There are many reasons for the appeal of prefabricated homes: cost, less waste, factory precision, ease of construction and energy efficiency representing a few of the basic considerations. In addition, there is the real or perceived “green factor.”

According to Modular Homes, “Green modular homes are now being built that allow people to live comfortably without using as many natural resources.”

Of interest, a majority of these modular homes have been designed considerably smaller than traditional American homes.

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