March 25, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Green Building Materials Sources:

If you’re building a home or making improvements to your home, you can save money and build greener by using recycled building materials. While Santa Monica is a city where green building is becoming more prevalent, there aren’t that many places in the city to buy construction materials. However, some sources are located in Santa Monica and nearby.

The City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) has a Green Building page on the sm.gov website. It features the Green Building code requirements, guidelines for design, and a list of local suppliers of materials.

Among the recycled materials on the OSE list are things like brick nuggets, rubber mulch, glass mulch, recycled plastic furniture products, and bricks. The sources are companies throughout the Los Angeles area, including some local places like Bourget Brothers.

Brendan McEneany, Green Building program Advisor for OSE, says that the challenge of compiling such a list is “keeping it up to date,” as products come and go.

He noted that recyclable building materials tend more toward materials like glass, stone, or metal rather than wood. There is also a difference, he observed, between “recycled” and “re-used” materials. The latter are materials that don’t have to be processed-for example, stone or concrete that can be used for landscaping does not have to be reprocessed or reclaimed but can be used as is.

Bourget Brothers (1636 11th Street, Santa Monica, 310.450.6556) is a great source for recycled and re-used building goods. Bourget Brothers customer service representative Miguel Macario told the Mirror about some of the most popular materials sold by the store.

“We have crushed glass, used for putting at bottoms of fountains, also for ground cover.” The glass comes in different colors and can be quite decorative.

Old railroad ties are another item that can be salvaged. Macario says the ties are used for landscapes, for creating beds for growing vegetables, and for making retaining walls for hillsides.

Bourget also has used bricks of many sizes, shapes, colors, and brands. Used bricks can be used for building garden walls or for facades for homes.

“One of our biggest items is broken concrete,” said Macario. “In Santa Monica it’s used a lot for landscaping, for planter walls, and even for paving. You don’t know how many palettes of broken concrete we send out every week.”

Prices at Bourget are quite reasonable. A 50 lb. bag of crushed glass sells for $108; an eight to nine foot railroad tie for $14.99; and used bricks go for anywhere between 79 cents and $1.17 depending of the type of brick.

epOxyGreen Sustainable Design Showroom (2434 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice, 310.578.2123) was started four years ago and has become the largest sustainable design /build showroom in Southern California. Manager Ben Russell says the showroom sells “all kinds of recycled materials.” Recycled insulation is available, made, says Russell, from plastic bottles, fiberglass, and even old denim jeans.

For flooring, green builders might want to use EcoTimber Woven Recycled Poplar, a 100 percent recycled poplar floor that is also formaldehyde-free. Counter tops and tiles are available, made from recycled cork, tile, glass, even marble. Also available are recycled stone, reclaimed wood, and metal tile.

Recycled glass comes in 15 colors, in clear, frosted, and iridescent finishes, and can be installed in interior and exterior floors and walls, or pool linings. Recycled metal tile is made from aluminum and brass, comes in aluminum, brass, and patina shades, and in brushed, vibrated, and sandblasted finishes.

Prices are available by calling epOxyGreen at 310.578.2123.

Of course, although it does not have a local outlet, Habitat for Humanity offers reused and reclaimed building materials at its ReStores. The nearest ReStores are located in Pasadena (626.792.3838) and Norwalk (562.863.4663).

More information is available at the web sites: epoxygreen.com, bourgetbrothers.com, habitat.org, and smgreen.org

in News
Related Posts

Santa Monica Pet Hotel Hosts Puppy-Friendly St. Patty’s Day Party

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

A new pet hotel in Santa Monica recently hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party for local dogs. Check out all...

Santa Monica Mountains Largest Ever Restoration Project Nears Completion After 7,000 Hours of Volunteer Work

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Final planting event will be held Saturday, March 25 at 9 a.m. for the park’s largest ever restoration project After...

California Appeals Court Rules Uber and Lyft Can Classify Drivers as Independent Contractors

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Proposition 22 exempted ride-share companies from certain labor laws, court rules in favor of the companies By Sam Catanzaro ​​A...

Film Review – Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

FILM REVIEWOPERATION FORTUNE: Ruse de GuerreRated R114 MinutesReleased March 3rd Now that the season of weighty Oscar contender films is...

Santa Monica Uses Innovative Water Recycling Facility to Capture and Store Rainwater

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

City’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project reducing reliance on imported water and sets a model for future projects Santa Monica has...

Shuttered Santa Monica Loews Hotel to Rebrand and Reopen as a Regent Hotel

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Hotel’s new operator announces plans for $4 million renovation, including rebranding and upgrading accessibility for guests with disabilities By Dolores...

Three Arrested for Identity Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and Grand Theft in Santa Monica

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Suspects found with over 20 stolen cellphones, credit cards, and identification Three individuals were arrested in Santa Monica for identity...

Proposal for Improved Communication With Street Vendors Sparks Contentious Debate in City Council Meeting

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Councilmembers divided over proposal calling for City Manager to engage in meaningful consultation with authorized vendors regarding sidewalk vending policies...

Former Bank Building in Santa Monica Becomes a Food Destination with Addition of Katsu Bar

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Katsu Bar joins Paderia and Oakberry in the transformation of the 3032 Wilshire building By Dolores Quintana Katsu Bar has...

Survey: Should Officials Remove Barriers to Outdoor Dining?

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we live our lives, and one of the most significant impacts has been...

Gasolina Cafe Owner, Sandra Cordero, to Open New Tapas Bar in Santa Monica

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Tapas bar expected to open late spring in former Heroic Italian space at 516 Santa Monica Boulevard  Sandra Cordero, the...

California’s AB 1217 Could Supersede Costly Outdoor Dining Permits Proposed by Municipalities

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

Legislation would preempt local ordinances and preserve regulatory flexibility for struggling neighborhood restaurants By Sam Catanzaro A new bill proposed...

Emerging Artist Jesse Liu Opens First-Ever Exhibition in Venice Gallery

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

“Spring Fever” currently on display at Yiwei Gallery By Keemia Zhang Local artist Jesse Liu has opened her first solo...

Santa Monica Place Invites LGBTQIA+ Artisans to Apply for Made With PRIDE Marketplace

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Partnering with Streetlet, the marketplace will take place each weekend in June and showcase local goods made in Southern California....

Santa Monica Councilmember Phil Brock Appointed to National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education, and Families

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Brock to collaborate with group of local leaders to develop and guide programs for communities across the country Santa Monica...