Drink a beer and save our environment

[ AUGUST 24, 2009 - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ] - “Environmental activism” implies one must be “actively” engaged in steps to save our planet. Typical activities include planting trees, re-insulating that old attic, and even joining Greenpeace to stop commercial fishing boats from hunting whales in protected sanctuaries. But there are many beneficial things you can do, in the comfort of your home, 12 ounces at a time.

Today, environmental activism is coming to a couch near you and it’s getting easier than ever. That’s right, this football season, you can help do your part to safeguard your children’s Earth, by drinking more beer and recycling the glass bottles. And yes, any glass bottle will do, but at least I got your attention.

Glass is endlessly recyclable, and most glass bottles and jars produced in the United States now contain at least 25-percent recycled glass – which also requires 75-percent less energy to produce than glass made from new materials.

And for your home, recycled glass countertops, sourced from post-consumer and pre-consumer sources, can be great additions, often at or below the price of granite or other solid surface countertops. While pre-consumer recycled glass sources are numerous, the most common sources are “post-consumer” from curbside recycling and salvaged glass from demolished buildings.

If you are in the market for recycled glass countertops, there are many companies and manufacturers in this emerging marketplace all across America. One new Oklahoma effort, in particular, combines good old-fashioned sweat and industry with a do-it-yourself experience that you will never forget.

Four Oklahoma City firefighters have begun a recycled glass countertop business (Creative Concrete Accents LLC) in south Oklahoma City, during their off-duty hours. They have spent hundreds of hours researching techniques, studying ingredients, gathering materials, building forms, practicing pours and polishing.

I lucked upon them and have hired them to build three bathroom countertops for an eco-friendly house I am currently building. To make matters even more interesting, I was able to personally help them lay out the glass from bottles that originated in my own refrigerator. That’s right, from my fridge to my countertop and no landfill in between.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to supply your own material. In fact, because of the generosity of Oklahoma City’s La Baquette and The Wedge restaurants, these guys have lots of bottles and colors for you to choose from.

These finished countertops are made from 75-percent recycled glass material and 25 percent from a combination of portland cement and polymers. It takes about 30 beer bottles per square foot of countertop (12-15 bottles of wine if you prefer) and come in any color combination imaginable. I chose a “Beer and Clear” mix, which was equal parts brown beer bottles and clear glass for a 50/50 look. I even threw in one crushed bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin for a splash of silvery blue. I hope my friends at Budweiser don’t mind. The poured form goes through a vibratory process that shakes out all the air pockets and leaves a solid material that sets up over the next five to seven days. It’s then ground down to a smooth finish that is truly amazing.

If you are looking for a project that achieves Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification points, the LEED program has begun to put increasing weight on the importance of regional manufacturing to reduce the carbon footprint of building materials. This focus on materials made in the U.S. has the secondary effect of encouraging the support of U.S. businesses in a time of economic downturn and these guys are right here in Oklahoma.

So, whether you are in the market for new countertops or are committed to helping Oklahoma’s environment in any way possible, grab a cold one and be part of this exciting new environmental activism. No gesture is too small for Mother Earth’s sake, even 12 ounces at a time.

Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.