In the "Green" World, Old is New

Who knew? Linoleum and pile drilling are hot new sustainable technologies.

At the "Greening the Heartland" Conference earlier this week, it sometime seemed as if everything old is not only new again - it's often environmentally sustainable. Greening the Heartland, a regional conference on green building and sustainability in the Midwest, is being held through tomorrow at America's Center in downtown St. Louis,. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) - St. Louis Regional Chapter is hosting this fifth annual event, which is geared toward people interested in greening their town, business, college campus or building.

In the event's exposition hall, Roger Gooch, south central regional manager for Forbo Flooring Systems, explained that his company has been making its "new" sustainable product since the middle of the 19th century. Linoleum is manufactured using linseed oil and wood "flour". It used to be made with cork, but the shortage of good cork is one reason why your favorite wine now has a screwtop. Another name for linseed oil - at least the kind extracted without the use of solvents is flaxseed, which you can buy at any health food store and put on your salad. The primary difference between today's linoleum and the product that readers of a certain age may remember, Gooch said, is the addition of UV coating, which seals the surface and improves durability and sheen.

At St. Louis' Subsurface Constructors, Inc. exhibit the sustainable product was "vibrostone columns". Subsurface has built a solid foundation (sorry about that) for a national business in the sustainable construction industry by combining a drilled, compacted piling system which reuses the onsite material and additions such as recycled railroad ballast. This system displaces minimal dirt on the site itself and piles on the points when an owner is seeking LEED certification.