Recycled Glass Countertops

What it is: Colorful recycled glass mixed into a cement, concrete, or resin base. Kitchen countertops can be integrally colored or stained for more variation and color coordination with cabinetry or painted surfaces. Note: As with all counter materials, labor and installation can cost extra and vary by region.

What makes it green: Diverts used glass from the waste stream. The cement in some counters is mixed with fly ash, a waste product of coal-burning that would otherwise end up in landfills; this also reduces greenhouse gas-producing cement manufacturing.