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Column: Yes, you can have a green reno

Old flooring, furniture and fittings — home or office renovations create waste. On the other hand, renovating also creates an opportunity to install the latest and greenest products.
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ReThink Green’s new green room is brighter and more environmentally friendly.
Old flooring, furniture and fittings — home or office renovations create waste.

On the other hand, renovating also creates an opportunity to install the latest and greenest products.

ReThink Green recently converted the third floor of the Muirhead Building into a co-working space called the Forge. Co-working allows entrepreneurs, start-up, and established businesses to use flexible office space and services.

As an environmental non-profit network, it was important for reThink Green to use the most sustainable choices available. It was also essential to create a professional space for people to work, meet and network.

Here are some of the green ideas and products we used in our renovations.

Cork Flooring: Our board room floor is made from TORLYS cork. Unlike wood, harvesting cork does not kill the tree. Cork is the outer layer of bark of the cork tree that is carefully harvested by hand so as not to damage the living bark underneath. After nine years, the bark of the same tree can be harvested again.

Interface Carpet Tile: The carpet is made from 70-per-cent recycled material and, when worn out, the company will pay to have it returned and recycled.

Interface carpet is sold in tiles, which has several advantages. With a carpet roll, it is difficult to fit into tight spaces and there are often leftover pieces that are too small to be resold. The 2x2 carpet tile creates minimal waste. In addition, a single tile can be replaced as needed, rather than replacing the whole carpet.

Cellular Window Shades: These window shades are used to help insulate the building. In the summer time, the shades are closed during the day. The white backing of the shades helps to reflect heat out, thus reducing the need for air conditioning.

Reclaiming Materials: Our ceiling tiles and light fixtures were replaced with more modern and efficient fixtures from Algonquin Public School. Old desks were donated by Falconbridge, and dividers by Science North. We purchased new legs to make a functional table from a legless top.

Do you have tips for green renovation or stories of items you’ve reclaimed? Post in the comments below the article on NorthernLife.ca.

ReThink Green is the network organization for environmental non-profits in Greater Sudbury.

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