Feature

Materials with recycled content or that are salvaged from older buildings will appeal to socially conscious homebuyers. 

For instance, wood flooring made from salvaged lumber from an 1850s brewery may be a status symbol for some buyers. The same could be said for composite decking (like Trex) made of recycled plastic bottles and ground-up pallets.

In the photo above, the kitchen counters in a Claremont, California, home are made by Richlite of recycled newsprint mixed with resin.

Common recycled-content or salvaged materials

Carpeting

According to the NAHB Research Center, approximately five billion pounds of carpet are replaced each year in the U.S. Much of the old carpet, along with plastic soda bottles and other textiles, can be woven into new carpet fibers. Recycled content carpet has a similar look, feel, and price as virgin fiber (typically polyester, nylon, and olefin) carpet, but takes advantage of post-consumer recycled materials.

Recycled carpet can be made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or from recovered textile fibers. PET plastic is usually found in plastic soda bottles. About 40 two-liter soda bottles are recycled per square yard of carpeting. The backing used for recycled content carpet is the same as traditional carpets.

Recycled content carpet fiber is said to be more resilient and colorfast than virgin fiber carpet. Recycled carpet usually comes with the same warranties for colorfastness, static control, and resistance to stain, crushing, and matting as virgin synthetic fiber carpets.

Cost: The price for recycled content carpet is comparable to conventional, virgin-fiber carpet.

Recycled Wood/ Plastic Composite Lumber

According to the NAHB Research Center: Recycled wood/plastic composite lumber is one of the prime uses for recycled plastic trash bags and waste wood fibers. The composite material is used to produce building products such as decking, door and window frames, and exterior moldings. Manufacturers claim that products produced with recycled wood/plastic lumber are more durable than conventional preservative-treated lumber. Also, these products contain no toxic chemicals such as those used in conventional treated lumber. Read more

Costs/benefits: Wood/plastic composites generally exhibit low moisture absorption and high resistance to decay, insect, and UV ray damage. As a decking material, wood/plastic composite material is said to require less maintenance than traditional lumber decking materials. In general, recycled wood/plastic composites are cost-competitive with high-end decking materials such as finger jointed pine and redwood, but are significantly more expensive than standard treated products. Retail costs for 2-x-6-inch material are approximately $2.00 per linear foot. Read more

Recycled Wood Floors

According to the NAHB Research Center: Old wood can be given a new life when it is recycled into "new" wood flooring. Recycled wood flooring is made from salvaged boards or trees that have been remilled into a product suitable for residential use. Since this wood came from old growth forests of America, it is often harder, denser, and more attractive in appearance than new growth wood. Recycling wood is more resource efficient than making new wood flooring.

Cost of the material is about $5.75 to $11 per square foot, with average labor costs of $0.87 per square foot. For comparison, new oak flooring strips (2 1/4 inch wide) average $3 per square foot for material.