Planet Green
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When people think of recycling, they usually think of pretty small stuff. Tin cans, plastic bottles, a printer cartridge. And then there are the mid-size things like cars, household items, and cargo containers.
But the Daniels family, featured on the Green Preservation Episode of Wa$ted!, put their minds and hearts to it, and they went ahead and recycled one of the largest items you can find: a whole house. They took a brave turn, honoring history and civic pride when they chose their new family home.
The family, having recently grown to 4 members, turned their eyes to an urban neighborhood in New Jersey, eschewing the suburbs and ex-urbs that are rapidly eating land and resources as they grow ever-larger.
They realized that here are structures—both social and physical—that exist within city limits that are tried and true, tested and experienced, and part of the cultural history woven into the city.
They moved back inward and renovated an older house in a Newark neighborhood, reclaiming from history a house that had started to fade away, and turning it into a recycled dream home that will serve their family for years, and in doing so they have helped the growing movement towards sustainable living.
Urban homes built a few generations ago are often better built than the average contemporary suburban dwelling—especially since, if they are still around, they have already stood the test of time. And so they serve as fantastic platforms for renovations and/or sustainable makeovers, promising long years of service and eco-smart existence for the whole family.
The Daniels' got some added help from Wa$ted!, but they were already well on their way to an eco-friendly home with their lighting, refuse organization, and habits. But most important was that fact that their entire home is, in essence, a recycled product.
“Urban homes built a few generations ago are often better built than the average contemporary suburban dwelling—especially since, if they are still around, they have already stood the test of time.
There are always silver linings, and the recent recession has slowed—and in some places stopped—the growing blight of new-home suburbs, which are more often than not shoddily built, use world-harming materials and practices and are frequently unnecessary in parts of the country where there are older, better-made homes available in the same part of a city or state.
And in this economy those older homes are becoming available at better and better prices.
So if you are in the market for a home, take a page from the Daniels family and look inward, closer to the walk-able amenities, infrastructure, and localist fare of a fine American city. Sure, recycle our trash and your cell-phone battery; but a real enviro-friendly family thinks big, and recycles their whole home.
Don't miss the Green Preservation Episode of Wa$ted! Holter describes.
If you like green renovation projects, don't miss Renovation Nation with Steve Thomas.
Learn more about green renovation:
How to Go Green: Home Renovation
Steve Thomas's Five Bubbles of Green Building
Ask Steve Thomas Anything (About Your Home)
Planet Green's Architectural Salvage Archive
Basic Steps to Restore and Reuse Old Furniture
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