Midwest Eco-Design - Your home for eco-friendly construction, remodeling & housing choices including prefrabricated homes, cabins and other sustainable material choices.

You need something that can get messy without messing up the planet.  Recycled glass is a gorgeous, durable, and stainproof option.

EnviroGLAS's EnviroSLAB countertop

Bio-Glass makes solid surfacing for countertops, walls, or anywhere else you want to slap it down.  Want something with a bit more pizzazz?  EnviroGLAS makes recycled terrazzo with glass from discarded bottles, and porcelain from recycled sinks.  IceStone and Vetrazzo area two more terrazzolike options made with at least 75% recycled glass (Vetrazzo used old traffic lights, windshields, and more!).  Eleek makes slick metallic counter tiles out of 100% recycled aluminum.

Sounds crazy but you can also get counters made with recycled paper that can actually stand up to kitchen use;  two sources are paperstoneproducts.com and shetkastone.com.  And keep your eyes out for butcher block surfaces made with reclaimed and local FSC wood, as well as bamboo.  Just note that wood doesn’t hold up as well over time and durability is a cornerstone of sustainable renovations.