This 624-square-foot bungalow utilizes quite an innovative construction process: it's put together with sand-filled plastic bottles, each one capped and weighing about two pounds. More

CHIP is a prefab, net-zero solar-powered house designed and built by a student-run team from two Southern California schools, SCI-Arc and Caltech, for the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. See the results of the 2-year design, after the jump. More

Contractors say, on every building or renovation project, people always want three things: inexpensive, fast and good. At Re-Nest, we always say that projects should also be eco-friendly. The answer to this is recycled rubber. Versatile and abundant, rubber can be used for everything from roofing to flooring and many things in between. Read more...

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There are plenty of composite deck materials out there but few contain bamboo. BamDeck is a new product made from 100% recycled materials, 30% of which is recycled bamboo fiber. More

Plastic bags are everywhere. It seems no matter how you try to avoid them you end up with a few lying around the house looking for a new use. While I have a few good go-to reuse options, Care2 has put together a great list of 18 ways to reuse those extra plastic bags. Check them out and share your reuse options after the jump. More

We posted about this a couple weeks ago, but we thought we'd give you a little more info about it: Plato's quote "Necessity is the mother of invention" often comes to mind as I stumble across link and after link of ingenious design ideas online. This one from an eco-entrepreneur in the Philippines transforms the ubiquitous plastic water bottle into a sustainable light source for those who might otherwise be left in the dark.
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Countertops, a kitchen backsplash, a wall partition—Bio-Glass can be used for any one of these. A RedDot Design Award Winner for 2010, this 100% recycled and recyclable surface material is Cradle-to-Cradle Silver certified and available in 6 natural colors. We love the pearly iridescence of the sea green version seen in the backsplash above. Light and lovely!
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I've seen a number of creative things made from plastic bags—fabric, knitting materials—but this idea is pretty cool. The stool top you see above is made from fused plastic bags constructed by inner-city youth in Boston, Massachusetts. The project coordinator developed the idea while working on his senior thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design. The group is also working on developing a mold for tables and various other pieces of furniture. Now, I'm not entirely sure about the environmental effects of melting down plastic, but it's better than just sending it to the landfill, no? More

Have an Eames chair that needs fixing? Or, want to cut your budget in half by restoring old chairs found online or from a second hand store? Plastolux features some really great tutorials on how to re-mount chairs, where to purchase shock mounts, bases, and how to shine them up nicely. See more photos and learn more after the jump! More

Q: I'm trying to be all eco-friendly and add a shower volume control knob onto my shower head to use less water. However, the directions for installing it call for Teflon tape. I know that tape is used commonly in plumbing, but Teflon is made by DuPont which has a less-than-stellar environmental record. Is there an alternative that doesn't contain toxic chemicals? What did plumbers do before Teflon tape?

Asked by Meghan More