This durable spotlight comes with its own solar panel, and uses 16 LEDs to produce light. It can run for 12 hours on a single charge. It has a weathertight anodized aluminum housing, and impact-resistant hand-soldered circuitry. The result is a solar light that will perform year after year (many solar lights are meant to be replaced every summer). Available from Gardner’s Supply Company for $59.95

There’s too much concrete in the world and most of it is unnecessary. Here’s one alternative that you may have seen at the beach: low-impact, modular walkways made out of sustainable timber.

The company, Mister Boardwalk, even makes “roll out” walkways that simply roll out on top of grass, wood chips, sand, gravel or old concrete. The company specifies that their pressure treated southern pine does not contain arsenic, and their cypress and teak are certified as responsibly harvested and are chemical free.

(more…)

Here’s another recycled creation from John T. Unger — it’s a fire pit made of 100% recycled steel, called the Great Bowl O’ Fire. The piece is a bit of a visual pun, because it is hand cut with a torch from decommissioned propane tanks! The heavy steel of the pit actually radiates heat like a wood stove. John also makes matching torches.

Rubberwood (also called Parawood in Thailand) is considered a renewable timber because it is only milled from rubber trees that have ceased to produce latex. After about 26-30 years, the latex yields from the tree become extremely low and the planters then fell the rubber trees and plant new ones. So, unlike other woods that are cut down for the sole purpose of producing furniture, rubberwood is used only after it completes it’s latex producing cycle and dies.

In fact, rubberwood is one of the more durable lumbers used in the manufacturing of today’s home furnishings. Rubberwood has very little shrinkage making it one of the more stable construction materials availabe for furniture manufacturing.

Rubberwood furniture available from: Overstock: (another table here) and many other furniture stores.